No. 2 The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier by Arthur Conan Doyle
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reputed talents to some other field . there_is no opening for_them here ."

" I_cannot leave here," said my client firmly, " until I hear from Godfrey's own lips that he_is under no restraint ."

our involuntary host rang the bell .

"Ralph," he_said, " telephone down to_the county police and ask_the inspector to send up two constables . tell him there_are burglars in_the house ."

" one moment," said I ." you_must_be aware, Mr Dodd, that colonel Emsworth is within his rights and_that we_have no legal status within his house . on_the other hand, he_should recognize that your action is prompted entirely by solicitude for_his son .I venture to hope_that if I were allowed to_have five minutes conversation with colonel Emsworth I_could certainly alter his view of_the matter ."

" I_am not so easily altered," said the old soldier ."Ralph, do what I_have told you . what the devil are_you waiting for ? ring up the police ! "

" nothing of_the sort," I_said, putting my back to_the door ." any police interference would bring about_the very catastrophe which you dread ." i_took out my notebook and scribbled one word upon a loose sheet ." that," said I as I handed it to colonel Emsworth, " is what has brought us here ."

he stared at_the writing with a face from_which every expression save amazement had vanished .

" how do_you_know ? " he gasped, sitting down heavily in_his chair .

" it_is my business to_know things . that_is my trade ."

he sat in deep thought, his gaunt hand tugging at his straggling beard . then he_made a gesture of resignation .

" well, if_you_wish to_see Godfrey, you shall . it_is no doing of_mine, but you_have forced my hand .Ralph, tell Mr Godfrey and Mr Kent that in five minutes we_shall_be with_them ."

at_the end of_that_time we passed down the garden path and found ourselves in front of_the mystery house at_the end .a small bearded man stood at_the door with a look of considerable astonishment upon his face .

" this_is very sudden, colonel Emsworth," said he ." this_will disarrange all our plans ."

" I_can't help it, Mr Kent . our hands have_been forced . can Mr Godfrey see us ? "

" yes, he_is waiting inside ." he turned and led us into a large plainly furnished front room .a man was standing with_his back to_the fire, and at_the sight of him my client sprang forward with outstretched hand .

" why, Godfrey, old man, this_is fine ! "

but the other waved him back .

"Don't touch me, Jimmie . keep your distance . yes, you_may well stare ! I don't quite look the smart lance- corporal Emsworth, of B squadron, do I ? "

his appearance was certainly extraordinary . one could_see that he had indeed been a handsome man with clear- cut features sunburned by an African sun, but mottled in patches over this darker surface were curious whitish patches which had bleached his skin .

" that's why I don't court visitors," said he ."I don't mind you, Jimmie, but I_could_have done without your friend .I suppose there_is some good reason for_it, but you_have me at a disadvantage ."

" i_wanted to_be_sure that all was well with_you, Godfrey . I_saw you that night when_you looked into my window, and I_could_not let the matter rest till I had cleared things up ."

" old Ralph told me you were there, and I couldn't help taking a peep at you .I hoped you_would_not_have seen me, and I had to run to my burrow when I heard the window go up ."

" but what in heaven's name is_the matter ? "

" well, it's not a long story to_tell," said he, lighting a cigarette ." you remember that morning fight at Buffelsspruit, outside Pretoria, on_the eastern railway line ? you heard i_was hit ? "

" yes, I heard that but I never got particulars ."

" three of us got separated from_the others . it_was very broken country, you_may remember . there_was Simpson -- the fellow we called Baldy Simpson -- and Anderson, and I . we were clearing brother Boer, but he lay low and got the three of us . the other two were killed .I got an elephant bullet through my shoulder .I stuck on to my horse, however, and he galloped several miles before I fainted and rolled off the saddle .

" when I_came to myself it_was nightfall, and I raised myself up, feeling very weak and ill . to my surprise there_was a house close beside me, a fairly large house with a broad stoep and many windows . it_was deadly cold . you remember the kind of numb cold which used to_come at evening, a deadly, sickening sort of cold, very different from a crisp healthy frost . well, i_was chilled to_the bone, and my only hope seemed to lie in reaching that house .I staggered to my feet and dragged myself along, hardly conscious of what I_did . I_have a dim memory of slowly ascending the steps, entering a wide- opened door, passing into a large room which contained several beds, and throwing myself down with a gasp of satisfaction upon one_of_them . it_was unmade, but that troubled me not at all .I drew the clothes over my shivering body and in a moment i_was in a deep sleep .

" it_was morning when I wakened, and it seemed to_me that instead of coming out into a world of sanity I had emerged into some extraordinary nightmare . the African sun flooded through_the big, curtainless windows, and every detail of_the great, bare, whitewashed dormitory stood out hard and clear . in front of me was standing a small, dwarf- like man with a huge, bulbous head, who was jabbering excitedly in Dutch, waving two horrible hands which looked to_me like brown sponges . behind him stood a group of people who seemed to_be intensely amused by_the situation, but a chill came over me as I looked at them . not one_of_them was a normal human being . every_one was twisted or swollen or disfigured in some strange way . the laughter of_these strange monstrosities was a dreadful thing to hear .

" it seemed that none_of_them could speak English, but the situation wanted clearing up, for_the creature with_the big head was growing furiously angry, and, uttering wild- beast cries, he had laid his deformed hands upon me and was dragging me out of bed, regardless of_the fresh flow of blood from my wound . the little monster was as strong as a bull, and I don't know what he_might_have done to_me had_not an elderly man who was clearly in authority been attracted to_the room by_the hubbub; he_said a few stern words in Dutch, and my persecutor shrank away . then he turned upon me, gazing at me in_the utmost amazement .

" ' how in_the_world did you come here ? ' he asked in amazement .' wait a bit ! I_see that you_are tired out and_that wounded shoulder of yours wants looking after . I_am a doctor, and I'll soon have_you tied up . but, man alive ! you_are in far greater danger here than ever you were on_the battlefield . you_are in_the leper hospital, and you_have slept in a leper's bed .'

" need I tell you more, Jimmie ? it seems that in view of_the approaching battle all these poor creatures had_been evacuated the day before . then, as_the British advanced, they had_been brought back by_this, their medical superintendent, who assured me that, though he believed he_was immune to_the disease, he_would none the less never have dared to_do what I had done . he put me in a private room, treated me kindly, and within a week or so i_was removed to_the general hospital at Pretoria .

" so there you_have my tragedy .I hoped against hope, but it_was not until I had reached home that_the terrible signs which you_see upon my face told me that I had_not escaped . what_was I to_do ? i_was in_this lonely house . we had two servants whom we_could utterly trust . there_was a house where I_could live . under pledge of secrecy, Mr Kent, who_is a surgeon, was prepared to stay with me . it seemed simple enough on those lines . the alternative was a dreadful one -- segregation for life among strangers with never a hope of release . but absolute secrecy was necessary, or even in_this quiet countryside there would_have_been an outcry, and I shous agohave been dragged to my horrible doom . even you, Jimmie -- even you had to_be kept in_the dark . why my father has relented I_cannot imagine ."

colonel Emsworth pointed to_me .

" this_is_the gentleman who forced my hand ." he unfolded the scrap of paper on_which I had written the word " leprosy ." " it seemed to_me that if he_knew so_much as that_it_was safer that he_should know all ."

" and so it_was," said I ." who knows but good may come of it ? I understand that only Mr Kent has seen the patient . may I ask, sir, if_you_are an authority on_such complaints, which are, I understand, tropical or semi- tropical in their nature ? "

" I_have the ordinary knowledge of_the educated medical man," he observed with some stiffness .

" I_have no_doubt, sir, that you_are fully competent, but I_am_sure that you_will agree that in_such a case a second opinion is valuable . you_have avoided this, I understand, for fear that pressure should_be put upon you to segregate the patient ."

" that_is so," said colonel Emsworth .

"I foresaw this situation," I explained, " and I_have brought with me a friend whose discretion may absolutely be trusted . i_was able once to_do him a professional service, and he_is ready to advise as a friend rather than as a specialist . his name is sir James Saunders ."

the prospect of an interview with lord Roberts would_not have excited greater wonder and pleasure in a raw subaltern than was now reflected upon_the face of Mr Kent .

" I_shall indeed be proud," he murmured .

" then i_will ask sir James to step this_way . he_is at present in_the carriage outside the door . meanwhile, colonel Emsworth, we_may perhaps assemble in your study, where I_could give the necessary explanations ."

and here it is_that I miss my Watson . by cunning questions and ejaculations of wonder he_could elevate my simple art, which_is but systematized common sense, into a prodigy . when I tell my own story I_have no such aid . and yet i_will give my process of thought even as I_gave it to my small audience, which included Godfrey's mother in_the study of colonel Emsworth .

" that process," said I, "starts upon_the supposition that when_you have eliminated all which_is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must_be the truth . it may well be that several explanations remain, in_which_case one tries test after test until one or other of_them has aconvincing amount of support . we_will now apply this principle to_the case in point . as it_was first presented to_me, there were three possible explanations of_the seclusion or incarceration of_this gentleman in an outhouse of_his father's mansion . there_was the explanation that he_was in hiding for a crime, or that he_was mad and that_they wished to avoid an asylum, or that he had some disease which caused his segregation . I_could think of no other adequate solutions . these, then, had to_be sifted and balanced against each_other .

" the criminal solution would_not bear inspection . no unsolved crime had_been reported from_that district . i_was sure of_that . if_it were some crime not yet discovered, then clearly it would_be to_the interest of_the family to_get rid of_the delinquent and send_him abroad rather than keep him concealed at home .I could_see no explanation for such a line of conduct .

" insanity was more plausible . the presence of_the second person in_the outhouse suggested a keeper . the fact that he locked the door when he_came out strengthened the supposition and gave the idea of constraint . on_the other hand, this constraint could_not_be severe or the young man could_not have got loose and come down to_have a look at his friend . you_will remember, Mr Dodd, that I_felt round for points, asking you, for example, about_the paper which Mr Kent was reading . had it been the lancet or the British medical journal it would_have helped me . it_is_not illegal, however, to_keep a lunatic upon private premises so_long as there_is a qualified person in attendance and_that the authorities have_been duly notified . why, then, all this desperate desire for secrecy ? once again I_could_not get the theory to fit the facts .

" there remained the third possibility, into which, rare and unlikely as it_was, everything seemed to fit . leprosy is_not uncommon in south Africa . by some extraordinary chance this youth might_have contracted it . his people would_be placed in a very dreadful position, since they_would desire to save him from segregation . great secrecy would_be needed to_prevent rumours from getting about and subsequent interference by_the authorities .a devoted medical man, if sufficiently paid, would easily be found to_take charge of_the sufferer . there would_be no reason why the latter should_not_be allowed freedom after dark .Bleaching of_the skin is a common result of_the disease . the case was a strong one -- so strong that I determined to act as_if it were actually proved . when on arriving here I noticed that Ralph, who carries out the meals, had gloves which are impregnated with disinfectants, my last doubts were removed .a single word showed you, sir, that your secret was discovered, and if i_wrote rather than said it, it_was to_prove to_you that my discretion was to_be trusted ."

i_was finishing this little analysis of_the case when_the door was opened and_the austere figure of_the great dermatologist was ushered in . but for once his sphinx- like features had relaxed and there_was a warm humanity in_his eyes . he strode up_to colonel Emsworth and shook him by_the hand .

" it_is often my lot to bring ill- tidings and seldom good," said he ." this occasion is_the more welcome . it_is_not leprosy ."

" what ? "

"A well- marked case of pseudo- leprosy or ichthyosis, a scale- like affection of_the skin, unsightly, obstinate, but possibly curable, and certainly noninfective . yes, Mr Holmes, the coincidence is a remarkable one . but is_it coincidence ? are there not subtle forces at work of_which we_know little ? are we assured that_the apprehension from_which this young man has no_doubt suffered terribly since his exposure to its contagion may not produce a physical effect which simulates that which it fears ? at any rate, I pledge my professional reputation -- but the lady has fainted ! i_think that Mr Kent had better be with her until she recovers from_this joyous shock ."

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