No. 3 A Case of Identity by Arthur Conan Doyle
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A case of identity

no .3 from_the Adeventures of Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Conan Doyle/Sherlock Holmes

" my dear fellow," said Sherlock Holmes as_we sat on either side of_the fire in_his lodgings at baker street, " life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent . we_would_not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence . if_we_could fly out of_that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at_the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generation, and leading to_the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable ."

" and yet I_am not convinced of it," I answered ." the cases which come to light in_the papers are, as a rule, bald enough, and vulgar enough . we_have in_our police reports realism pushed to its extreme limits, and yet the result is, it must_be confessed, neither fascinating nor artistic ."

"A certain selection and discretion must_be used in producing a realistic effect," remarked Holmes ." this_is wanting in_the police report, where more stress is laid, perhaps, upon_the platitudes of_the magistrate than upon_the details, which to an observer contain the vital essence of_the whole matter . depend upon it, there_is nothing so unnatural as_the commonplace ."

I smiled and shook my head ." I_can quite understand your thinking so ." I_said ." of_course, in your position of unofficial adviser and helper to everybody who_is absolutely puzzled, throughout three continents, you_are brought in contact with all that_is strange and bizarre . but here"--I picked up the morning paper from_the ground--" let_us put it to a practical test . here_is_the first heading upon_which I come .'A husband's cruelty to_his wife .' there_is half a column of print, but I_know without reading it that_it_is all perfectly familiar to_me . there_is, of_course, the other woman, the drink, the push, the blow, the bruise, the sympathetic sister or landlady . the crudest of writers could invent nothing more crude ."

" indeed, your example is an unfortunate one for your argument," said Holmes, taking the paper and glancing his eye down it ." this_is_the Dundas separation case, and, as it happens, i_was engaged in clearing up some small points in connection with it . the husband was a teetotaler, there_was no other woman, and_the conduct complained of was_that he had drifted into_the habit of winding up every meal by taking out his false teeth and hurling them at his wife, which, you_will allow, is_not an action likely to occur to_the imagination of_the average story- teller . take a pinch of snuff, doctor, and acknowledge that I_have scored over you in your example ."

he held out his snuffbox of old gold, with a great amethyst in_the centre of_the lid . its splendour was in_such contrast to_his homely ways and simple life that I_could_not help commenting upon it .

"Ah," said he, "I forgot that I had_not seen you for some weeks . it_is a little souvenir from_the king of Bohemia in return for_my assistance in_the case of_the Irene Adler papers ."

" and_the ring ? " I asked, glancing at a remarkable brilliant which sparkled upon his finger .

" it_was from_the reigning family of Holland, though the matter in_which I served them was of_such delicacy that I_cannot confide it even to_you, who have_been good enough to chronicle one_or_two of_my little problems ."

" and have_you any on hand just now ? " I asked with interest .

" some ten or twelve, but none which present any feature of interest . they_are important, you understand, without being interesting . indeed, I_have found that_it_is usually in unimportant matters that_there_is a field for_the observation, and for_the quick analysis of cause and effect which gives the charm to an investigation . the larger crimes are apt to_be the simpler, for_the bigger the crime thc more obvious, as a rule, is_the motive . in_these cases, save for_one rather intricate matter which_has been referred to_me from Marseilles, there_is nothing which presents any features of interest . it_is possible, however, that I_may_have something better before very_many minutes are over, for_this is one of_my clients, or I_am much mistaken ."

he had risen from_his chair and was standing between_the parted blinds gazing down into_the dull neutral- tinted London street . looking over his shoulder, I_saw that on_the pavement opposite there stood a large woman with a heavy fur boa round her neck, and a large curling red feather in a broad- brimmed hat which_was tilted in a coquettish duchess of Devonshire fashion over her ear . from under this great panoply she peeped up in a nervous, hesitating fashion at our windows, while her body oscillated backward and forward, and her fingers fidgeted with her glove buttons . suddenly, with a plunge, as of_the swimmer who leaves the bank, she hurried across the road, and we heard the sharp clang of_the bell .

" I_have_seen those symptoms before," said Holmes, throwing his cigarette into_the fire ." oscillation upon_the pavement always means an affaire de coeur . she_would like advice, but is_not sure that_the matter is_not too delicate for communication . and yet even here we_may discriminate . when a woman has_been seriously wronged by a man she no longer oscillates, and_the usual symptom is a broken bell wire . here we_may take it that_there_is a love matter, but that_the maiden is_not so_much angry as perplexed, or grieved . but here she comes in person to resolve our doubts ."

as he spoke there_was a tap at_the door, and_the boy in buttons . entered to announce miss Mary Sutherland, while the lady herself loomed behind his small black figure like a full- sailed merchant- man behind a tiny pilot boat .Sherlock Holmes welcomed her with_the easy courtesy for_which he_was remarkable, and, having closed the door and bowed her into an armchair, he looked her over in_the minute and yet abstracted fashion which_was peculiar to him .

" do_you not find," he_said, " that with your short sight it_is a little trying to_do_so much typewriting ? "

" I_did at first," she answered, " but now I_know where the letters are without looking ." then, suddenly realizing the full purport of_his words, she gave a violent start and looked up, with fear and astonishment upon her broad, good-humoured face ." you've heard about me, Mr Holmes," she cried, " else how could you_know all that ? "

" never mind," said Holmes, laughing; " it_is my business to_know things . perhaps I_have trained myself to_see what others overlook . if_not, why should you come to consult me ? "

" I_came to_you, sir, because I heard of you from Mrs Etherege, whose husband you found so easy when_the police and everyone had given him up for dead .Oh, Mr Holmes, i_wish you_would do as_much for_me .I'm not rich, but still I_have a hundred a year in my own right, besides the little that I make by_the machine, and i_would give it all to_know what has become of Mr Hosmer angel ."

" why did you come away to consult me in_such a hurry ? " asked Sherlock Holmes, with_his finger-tips together and_his eyes to_the ceiling .

again a startled look came over the somewhat vacuous face of miss Mary Sutherland ." yes, I_did bang out_of_the house," she said, " for_it made me angry to_see the easy way in_which Mr Windibank-- that_is, my father-- took it all . he_would_not go to_the police, and he_would_not go to_you, and so at last, as he_would do nothing and kept on saying that there_was no harm done, it made me mad, and I just on with my things and came right away to_you ."

" your father," said Holmes, " your stepfather, surely, since_the name is different ."

" yes, my stepfather .I call him father, though it sounds funny, too, for he_is only five years and two months older than myself ."

" and your mother is alive ? "

"Oh, yes, mother is alive and well .I wasn't best pleased, Mr Holmes, when she married again so soon after father's death, and a man who was nearly fifteen years younger than herself . father was a plumber in_the Tottenham court road, and he left a tidy business behind him, which mother carried on with Mr hardy, the foreman; but when Mr Windibank came he_made her sell the business, for he_was very superior, being atraveller in wines . they got 4700 pounds for_the goodwill and interest, which wasn't near as_much as father could_have got if he had_been alive ."

I had expected to_see Sherlock Holmes impatient under this rambling and inconsequential narrative, but, on_the contrary he had listened with_the greatest concentration of attention .

" your own little income," he asked, "does it come out_of_the business ? "

"Oh, no, sir . it_is quite separate and was left me by my uncle Ned in Auckland . it_is in New_Zealand stock, paying 4 1/2 per cent . two thousand five hundred pounds was_the amount, but I_can only touch the interest ."

" you interest me extremely," said Holmes ." and since you draw so large a sum as a hundred a year, with what you earn into_the bargain, you no_doubt travel a little and indulge yourself in every way .I believe that a single lady can get on very nicely upon an income of about 60 pounds ."

" I_could do with much less_than that, Mr Holmes, but you understand that as long as I live at home I don't wish to_be a burden to_them, and so they_have the use of_the money just while I_am staying with_them . of_course, that_is only just for_the_time .Mr Windibank draws my interest every quarter and pays it over to mother, and I_find that I_can do pretty well with what I earn at typewriting . it brings me twopence a sheet, and I_can often do from fifteen to twenty sheets in a- day ."

" you have_made your position very clear to_me," said Holmes ." this_is my friend, Dr .Watson, before whom you_can speak as freely as before myself . kindly tell us now all about_your connection with Mr Hosmer angel ."

a flush stole over miss Sutherland's face, and she picked nervously at_the fringe of her jacket ."I met him first at_the gasfitters' ball," she said ." they used to send father tickets when he_was alive, and then afterwards they remembered us, and sent them to mother .Mr Windibank did_not wish us to_go . he never did wish us to_go anywhere . he_would get quite mad if i_wanted so_much as_to join a Sunday- school treat . but this_time i_was set on going, and i_would go; for what right had he to_prevent ? he_said the folk were_not fit for_us to_know, when all father's friends were to_be there . and he_said that I had nothing fit to wear, when I had my purple plush that I had never so_much as taken out_of_the drawer . at last, when nothing else would do, he went off to France upon_the business of_the firm, but we went, mother and I, with Mr hardy, who used to_be our foreman, and it_was there I met Mr Hosmer angel ."

"I suppose," said Holmes, " that when Mr Windibank came back from France he_was very annoyed at your having gone to_the ball ."

"Oh, well, he_was very_good about_it . he laughed, I remember, and shrugged his shoulders, and said there_was no use denying anything to a woman, for she would_have her way ."

" I_see . then at_the gasfitters' ball you met, as I understand, a gentleman called Mr Hosmer angel ."

" yes, sir .I met him that night, and he_called next_day to ask if_we had got home all safe, and after_that we met him-- that_is_to_say, Mr Holmes, I met him twice for walks, but after_that father came back again, and Mr Hosmer angel could_not come to_the house any more ."

" no ? "

" well, you_know father didn't like anything of_the sort . he wouldn't have any visitors if he_could help it, and he used to_say that a woman should_be happy in her own family circle . but then, as I used to_say to mother, a woman wants her own circle to_begin with, and I had_not got mine yet ."

" but how about Mr Hosmer angel ? did he make no attempt to_see you ? "

" well, father was going off to France again in a week, and Hosmer wrote and said that_it would_be safer and better not to_see each_other until he had gone . we_could write in_the meantime, and he used to write every day . i_took the letters in in_the morning, so there_was no need for father to_know ."

" were you engaged to_the gentleman at_this_time ? "

"Oh, yes, Mr Holmes . we were engaged after_the first walk that we took .Hosmer-- Mr angel-- was a cashier in an office in Leadenhall street-- and--"

" what office ? "

" that's the worst of it, Mr Holmes, I don't know ."

" where did he live, then ? "

" he slept on_the premises ."

" and you don't know his address ? "

" no-- except that_it_was Leadenhall street ."

" where did you address your letters, then ? "

" to_the Leadenhall street post- office, to_be left till called for . he_said that if_they were sent to_the office he_would_be chaffed by all the other clerks about having letters from a lady, so I offered to typewrite them, like he_did his, but he wouldn't have that, for he_said that when i_wrote them they seemed to_come from me, but when_they were typewritten he always felt that_the machine had come between_us . that_will just show you how fond he_was of me, Mr Holmes, and_the little things that he_would think of ."

" it_was most suggestive," said Holmes ." it has long been an axiom of_mine that_the little things are infinitely the most important . can_you remember any_other little things about Mr Hosmer angel ? "

" he_was a very shy man, Mr Holmes . he_would

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