No. 12 The Adventures of the Copper Beeches by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the adventure of_the copper Beeches

no .12 from_the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

" to_the man who loves art for its own sake," remarked Sherlock Holmes, tossing aside the advertisement sheet of_the daily telegraph, " it_is frequently in its least important and lowliest manifestations that_the keenest pleasure is_to_be derived . it_is pleasant to_me to observe, Watson, that you_have so_far grasped this truth that in_these little records of_our cases which you_have_been good enough to draw up, and, I_am bound to_say, occasionally to embellish, you_have given prominence not so_much to_the many causes celebres and sensational trials in_which I_have figured but rather to_those incidents which_may have_been trivial in themselves, but which_have given room for_those faculties of deduction and of logical synthesis which I_have_made my special province ."

" and yet," said I, smiling, " I_cannot quite hold myself absolved from_the charge of sensationalism which_has been urged against my records ."

" you_have erred, perhaps," he observed, taking up aglowing cinder with_the tongs and lighting with it the long cherry- wood pipe which_was wont to replace his clay when he_was in a disputatious rather than a meditative mood--" you_have erred perhaps in attempting to_put colour and life into each of your statements instead of confining yourself to_the task of placing upon record that severe reasoning from cause to effect which_is really the only notable feature about_the thing ."

" it seems to_me that I_have_done you full justice in_the matter," I remarked with some coldness, for i_was repelled by_the egotism which I had more than once observed to_be a strong factor in my friend's singular character .

" no, it_is_not selfishness or conceit," said he, answering, as was his wont, my thoughts rather than my words ." if I claim full justice for_my art, it_is because it_is an impersonal thing--a thing beyond myself . crime is common . logic is rare . therefore it_is upon_the logic rather than upon_the crime that you_should dwell . you_have degraded what should_have_been a course of lectures into a series of tales ."

it_was a cold morning of_the early spring, and we sat after breakfast on either side of a cheery fire in_the old room at baker street .a thick fog rolled down between_the lines of dun-coloured houses, and_the opposing windows loomed like dark, shapeless blurs through_the heavy yellow wreaths . our gas was lit and shone on_the white cloth and glimmer of china and metal, for_the table had_not_been cleared yet .Sherlock Holmes had_been silent all the morning, dipping continuously into_the advertisement columns of a succession of papers until at last, having apparently given up his search, he had emerged in no very sweet temper to lecture me upon my literary shortcomings .

" at_the same time," he remarked after a pause, during which he had sat puffing at his long pipe and gazing down into_the fire, " you_can hardly be open to a charge of sensationalism, for out of_these cases which you_have_been so kind as_to interest yourself in, a fair proportion do_not treat of crime, in its legal sense, at all . the small matter in_which I endeavoured to help the king of Bohemia, the singular experience of miss Mary Sutherland, the problem connected with_the man with_the twisted lip, and_the incident of_the noble bachelor, were all matters which are outside the pale of_the law . but in avoiding the sensational, I_fear that you_may_have bordered on_the trivial ."

" the end may have_been so," I answered, " but the methods I hold to_have_been novel and of interest ."

"Pshaw, my dear fellow, what do_the public, the great unobservant public, who_could hardly tell a weaver by his tooth or a compositor by his left thumb, care about_the finer shades of analysis and deduction ! but, indeed, if_you_are trivial . I_cannot blame you, for_the days of_the great cases are past . man, or at_least criminal man, has lost all enterprise and originality . as_to my own little practice, it seems_to_be degenerating into an agency for recovering lost lead pencils and giving advice to young ladies from boarding-schools . i_think that I_have touched bottom at last, however . this note I had this_morning marks my zero- point, I fancy . read it ! " he tossed a crumpled letter across to_me .

it_was dated from Montague place upon_the preceding evening, and ran thus:

" dear_Mr Holmes:-- I_am very anxious to consult you as_to whether i_should or should_not accept a situation which_has been offered to_me as governess . I_shall call at half- past ten to- morrow if I_do_not inconvenience you .

yours faithfully,

violet hunter ."

" do_you_know the young lady ? " I asked .

" not I ."

" it_is half- past ten now ."

" yes, and I_have no_doubt that_is her ring ."

" it may turn out to_be of more interest than you_think . you remember that_the affair of_the blue carbuncle, which appeared to_be amere whim at first, developed into a serious investigation . it may_be so in this_case, also ."

" well, let_us hope so . but our doubts will very_soon be solved, for here, unless I_am much mistaken, is_the person in_question ." Josef Friedrich, 1906

as he spoke the door opened and a young lady entered the room . she was plainly but neatly dressed, with a bright, quick face, freckled like a plover's egg, and with_the brisk manner of a woman who has had her own way to_make in_the_world .

" you_will excuse my troubling you, I_am_sure," said she, as my companion rose to greet her, " but I_have_had a very strange experience, and as I_have no parents or relations of any sort from whom I_could ask advice, i_thought that perhaps you_would_be kind enough to_tell me what i_should do ."

" pray take a seat, miss hunter . I_shall_be happy to_do anything that I_can to_serve_you ."

I could_see that Holmes was favourably impressed by_the manner and speech of_his new client . he looked her over in_his searching fashion, and then composed himself, with_his lids drooping and_his finger-tips together, to listen to her story .

" I_have_been a governess for five years," said she, " in_the family of colonel Spence Munro, but two_months_ago the colonel received an appointment at Halifax, in Nova_Scotia, and took his children over to America with_him, so_that I_found myself without a situation .I advertised, and I answered advertisements, but without success . at last the little money which I had saved began to run short, and i_was at my wit's end as_to what i_should do .

" there_is a well- known agency for governess in_the west end called Westaway's, and there I used to_call about once a week in_order_to_see whether anything had turned up which might suit me .Westaway was_the name of_the founder of_the business, but it_is really managed by miss Stoper . she sits in her own little office, and_the ladies who_are seeking employment wait in an anteroom, and_are then shown in one by one, when she consults her ledgers and sees whether she has anything which would suit them .

" well, when I called last week i_was shown into_the little office as usual, but I_found that miss Stoper was not alone .a prodigiously stout man with a very smiling face and a great heavy chin which rolled down in fold upon fold over his throat sat at her elbow with a pair of glasses on_his nose, looking very earnestly at_the ladies who entered . as I_came in he_gave quite a jump in_his chair and turned quickly to miss Stoper .

"' that_will do,' said he; ' I_could_not ask for anything better . capital ! capital ! ' he_seemed quite enthusiastic and rubbed his hands together in_the most genial fashion . he_was such a comfortable- looking man that_it_was quite a pleasure to look at him .Josef Friedrich, 1906

"' you_are looking for a situation, miss ? ' he asked .

"' yes, sir .'

"' as governess ? '

"' yes, sir .'

"' and what salary do_you ask ? '

"'I had 4 pounds a month in my last place with colonel Spence Munro .'

"'Oh, tut, tut ! sweating-- rank sweating ! ' he cried, throwing his fat hands out into_the air like a man who_is in aboiling passion .' how could anyone offer so pitiful a sum to a lady with_such attractions and accomplishments ? '

"' my accomplishments, sir, may_be less_than you imagine,' said I .'A little French, a little German, music, and drawing --'

"'Tut, tut ! ' he cried .' this_is all quite beside the question . the point is, have_you or have_you not the bearing and deportment of a lady ? there it_is in a nutshell . if you_have_not, you_are_not fined for_the rearing of a child who_may some day play a considerable part in_the history of_the country . but if_you_have why, then, how could any gentleman ask_you to condescend to accept anything under the three figures ? your salary with me, madam, would commence at 100 pounds a year .'

" you_may imagine, Mr Holmes, that to_me, destitute as i_was, such an offer seemed almost too good to_be true . the gentleman, however, seeing perhaps the look of incredulity upon my face, opened a pocket- book and took out a note .

"' it_is also my custom,' said he, smiling in_the most pleasant fashion until his eyes were just two little shining slits amid the white creases of_his face, ' to advance to my young ladies half their salary beforehand, so that_they may meet any little expenses of_their journey and their wardrobe .'

" it seemed to_me that I had never met so fascinating and so thoughtful a man . as i_was already in debt to my tradesmen, the advance was a great convenience, and yet there_was something unnatural about_the whole transaction which made me wish to_know a little more before I quite committed myself .

"' may I ask where you live, sir ? ' said I .

"'Hampshire .Charming rural place . the copper Beeches, five miles on_the far side of Winchester . it_is_the most lovely country, my dear young lady, and_the dearest old country- house .'

"' and my duties, sir ? i_should be_glad_to_know what they_would_be .'

"' one child-- one dear little romper just six years old .Oh, if you_could_see him killing cockroaches with a slipper ! smack ! smack ! smack ! three gone before_you could wink ! ' he leaned back in_his chair and laughed his eyes into his head again .

" i_was a little startled at_the nature of_the child's amusement, but the father's laughter made me think that perhaps he_was joking .

"' my sole duties, then,' I asked, ' are to_take charge of a single child ? '

"' no, no, not the sole, not the sole, my dear young lady,' he cried .' your duty would_be, as I_am_sure your good sense would suggest, to obey any little commands my wife might give, provided always that_they were such commands as a lady might with propriety obey . you_see no difficulty, heh ? '

"' i_should_be happy to_make myself useful .'

"' quite so . in dress now, for example . we_are faddy people, you_know--faddy but kind-hearted . if_you were asked to wear any dress which we_might give_you, you_would_not object to our little whim .Heh ? '

"' no,' said I, considerably astonished at his words .

"' or to sit here, or sit there, that would_not_be offensive to_you ? '

"'Oh, no .'

"' or to cut your hair quite short before_you come to_us ? '

" I_could hardly believe my ears . as_you_may observe, Mr Holmes, my hair is somewhat luxuriant, and of a rather peculiar tint of chestnut . it_has_been considered artistic . I_could_not dream of sacrificing it in_this offhand fashion .

"' I_am afraid that that_is quite impossible,' said I . he had_been watching me eagerly out of_his small eyes, and I could_see a shadow pass over his face as I spoke .

"' I_am afraid that_it_is quite essential,' said he .' it_is a little fancy of_my wife's, and ladies' fancies, you_know, madam, ladies' fancies must_be consulted . and so you won't cut your hair ? '

"' no, sir, I really could_not,' I answered firmly .

"'Ah, very_well; then that quite settles the matter . it_is a pity, because in other respects you_would really have_done very nicely . in_that case, miss Stoper, I had best inspect a few more of your young ladies .'

" the manageress had sat all this while busy with her papers without a word to either of us, but she glanced at me now with so_much annoyance upon her face that I_could_not help suspecting that she had lost a handsome commission through my refusal .

"' do you_desire your_name to_be kept upon_the books ? ' she asked .

"' if_you please, miss Stoper .'

"' well, really, it seems rather useless, since you refuse the most excellent offers in_this fashion,' said she sharply .' you_can hardly expect us to exert ourselves to_find another such opening for_you . good- day to_you, miss hunter .' she struck a gong upon_the table, and i_was shown out by_the page .

" well, Mr Holmes, when I got back to my lodgings and found little enough in_the cupboard, and two_or_three bills upon_the table .I began to ask myself whether I had_not done a very foolish thing . after all, if these people had strange fads and expected obedience on_the most extraordinary matters, they were at_least ready to_pay for their eccentricity . very few governess in England are getting 100 pounds a year . besides, what use was my hair to_me ? many people are improved by wearing it short and perhaps i_should_be among_the number . next_day i_was inclined to_think that I had made a mistake, and by_the day after i_was sure of it .I had almost overcome my pride so_far as to_go back to_the agency and inquire whether the place was still open when I received this letter from_the gentleman himself . I_have it here and_I_will read it to_you:

"' the copper Beeches, near Winchester .

"' dear_miss hunter:--" miss Stoper has very kindly given me your address, and I write from here to ask_you whether you_have reconsidered your decision . my wife is very anxious that you_should come, for she has_been much attracted by my description of you . we_are willing to_give 30 pounds a quarter, or 120 pounds a year, so as_to recompense you for any little inconvenience which our fads may cause you . they_are_not

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