No. 12 The Adventure of the Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the final problem

by Arthur Conan Doyle

it_is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen to write these the last words in_which I_shall ever record the singular gifts by_which my friend Mr Sherlock Holmes was distinguished . in an incoherent and, as I deeply feel, an entirely inadequate fashion, I_have endeavoured to_give some account of_my strange experiences in_his company from_the chance which first brought us together at_the period of_the " study in scarlet," up_to_the time of_his interference in_the matter of_the " naval treaty"-- and interference which had the unquestionable effect of preventing a serious international complication . it_was my intention to_have stopped there, and to_have said nothing of_that event which_has created a void in my life which the lapse of two years has_done little to_fill . my hand has_been forced, however, by_the recent letters in_which colonel James Moriarty defends the memory of_his brother, and I_have no choice but to lay the facts before_the public exactly as_they occurred .I alone know the absolute truth of_the matter, and I_am satisfied that_the time has_come when on good purpose is_to_be served by its suppression . as far as I_know, there_have been only three accounts in_the public press: that in_the journal de Geneve on may 6th, 1891, the Reuter's despatch in_the English papers on may 7th, and finally the recent letter to_which I_have alluded . of_these the first and second were extremely condensed, while the last is, as I_shall now sow, an absolute perversion of_the facts . it lies with me to_tell for_the first time what really took place between professor Moriarty and Mr Sherlock Holmes .

it may_be remembered that after my marriage, and my subsequent start in private practice, the very intimate relations which had existed between Holmes and myself became to some extent modified . he still came to_me from_time to_time when he desired a companion in_his investigation, but these occasions grew more and more seldom, until I_find that in_the year 1890 there were only three cases of_which I retain any record . during the winter of_that year and_the early spring of 1891, I_saw in_the papers that he had_been engaged by_the French government upon a matter of supreme importance, and I received two notes from Holmes, dated from Narbonne and from Nimes, from_which I gathered that his stay in France was likely to_be a long one . it_was with some surprise, therefore, that I_saw him walk into my consulting- room upon_the evening of April 24th . it struck me that he_was looking even paler and thinner than usual .

" yes, I_have_been using myself up rather too freely," he remarked, in answer to my look rather than to my words; " I_have_been a little pressed of late . have_you any objection to my closing your shutters ? "

the only light in_the room came from_the lamp upon_the table at which I had_been reading .Holmes edged his way round the wall and flinging the shutters together, he bolted them securely .

" you_are afraid of something ? " I asked .

" well, I_am ."

" of what ? "

" of air-guns ."

" my dear Holmes, what do_you_mean ? "

" i_think that you_know me well enough, Watson, to understand that I_am by no means a nervous man . at_the same time, it_is stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognise danger when it_is close upon you . might I trouble you for a match ? " he drew in_the smoke of_his cigarette as if_the soothing influence was grateful to him .

" I_must apologise for calling so late," said he, " and I_must further beg you to_be so unconventional as_to allow me to leave your house presently by scrambling over your back garden wall ."

" but what does it all mean ? " I asked .

he held out his hand, and I_saw in_the light of_the lamp that two of_his knuckles were burst and bleeding .

" it_is_not an airy nothing, you_see," said he, smiling ." on_the contrary, it_is solid enough for a man to break his hand over . is Mrs Watson in ? "

" she_is away upon a visit ."

" indeed ! you_are alone ? "

" quite ."

" then it makes it the easier for_me to propose that you_should come away with me for a week to_the continent ."

" where ? "

"Oh, anywhere . it's all the same to_me ."

there_was something very strange in all this . it_was not Holmes's nature to_take an aimless holiday, and something about his pale, worn face told me that his nerves were at their highest tension . he_saw the question in my eyes, and, putting his finger-tips together and_his elbows upon his knees, he explained the situation .

" you_have probably never heard of professor Moriarty ? " said he .

" never ."

"Aye, there's the genius and_the wonder of_the thing ! " he cried ." the man pervades London, and no one has heard of him . that's what puts him on a pinnacle in_the records of crime .I tell you, Watson, in all seriousness, that if I_could beat that man, if I_could free society of him, i_should feel that my own career had reached its summit, and i_should_be prepared to_turn to some more placid line in life . between ourselves, the recent cases in_which I_have_been of assistance to_the royal family of Scandinavia, and to_the French republic, have left me in_such a position that I_could continue to live in_the quiet fashion which_is most congenial to_me, and to concentrate my attention upon my chemical researches . but I_could_not rest, Watson, I_could_not sit quiet in my chair, if i_thought that such a man as professor Moriarty were walking the streets of London unchallenged ."

" what has he done, then ? "

" his career has_been an extraordinary one . he_is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature with a phenomenal mathematical faculty . at_the age of twenty- one he wrote a treatise upon_the binomial theorem, which_has had a European vogue . on_the strength of it he won the mathematical chair at one_of_our smaller universities, and had, to all appearance, a most brilliant career before him . but the man had hereditary tendencies of_the most diabolical kind .a criminal strain ran in_his blood, which, instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers . dark rumours gathered round him in_the university town, and eventually he_was compelled to resign his chair and to_come down to London, where he set up as an army coach . so_much is known to_the world, but what I_am telling you now is what I_have myself discovered .

" as_you_are aware, Watson, there_is no one who knows the higher criminal world of London so_well as I_do . for years past I_have continually been conscious of some power behind the malefactor, some deep organising power which forever stands in_the way of_the law, and throws it shield over the wrong-doer . again and again in cases of_the most varying sorts-- forgery cases, robberies, murders-- I_have felt the presence of_this force, and I_have deduced its action in many_of_those undiscovered crimes in_which I have_not_been personally consulted . for years I_have endeavoured to break through_the veil which shrouded it, and at last the time came when I seized my thread and followed it, until it led me, after a thousand cunning windings, to ex- professor Moriarty of mathematical celebrity .

he is_the napoleon of crime, Watson . he is_the organiser of half that_is evil and of nearly all that_is undetected in_this great city . he_is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker . he has a brain of_the first order . he sits motionless, like a spider in_the centre of_its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he_knows well every quiver of each of_them . he_does little himself . he only plans . but his agents are numerous and splendidly organised . is_there a crime to_be_done, a paper to_be abstracted, we_will say, a house to_be rifled, a man to_be removed-- the word is passed to_the professor, the matter is organised and carried out . the agent may_be caught . in_that case money is found for_his bail or his defence . but the central power which uses the agent is never caught-- never so_much as suspected . this_was the organisation which I deduced, Watson, and which I devoted my whole energy to exposing and breaking up .

" but the professor was fenced round with safeguards so cunningly devised that, do what i_would, it seemed impossible to_get evidence which would convict in a court of law . you_know my powers, my dear Watson, and yet at_the end of three months i_was forced to confess that I had at last met an antagonist who was my intellectual equal . my horror at his crimes was lost in my admiration at his skill . but at last he_made a trip-- only a little, little trip-- but it_was more than he_could afford when i_was so close upon him .I had my chance, and, starting from_that point, I_have woven my net round him until now it_is all ready to close . in three days-- that_is_to_say, on Monday next--matters will_be ripe, and_the professor, with all the principal members of_his gang, will_be in_the hands of_the police . then will come the greatest criminal trial of_the century, the clearing up of over forty mysteries, and_the rope for all of_them; but if_we move at all prematurely, you understand, they_may slip out of_our hands even at_the last moment .

" now, if I_could_have done this without the knowledge of professor Moriarty, all would_have_been well . but he_was too wily for_that . he_saw every step which i_took to draw my toils round him . again and again he strove to break away, but I as often headed him off .I tell you, my friend, that if a detailed account of_that silent contest could_be written, it would take its place as_the most brilliant bit of thrust- and- parry work in_the history of detection . never have I risen to such a height, and never have I been so hard pressed by an opponent . he cut deep, and yet I just undercut him . this_morning the last steps were taken, and three days only were wanted to complete the business . i_was sitting in my room thinking the matter over, when_the door opened and professor Moriarty stood before me .

" my nerves are fairly proof, Watson, but I_must confess to a start when I_saw the very man who had_been so_much in my thoughts standing there on my thresh- hold . his appearance was quite familiar to_me . he_is extremely tall and thin, his forehead domes out in a white curve, and_his two eyes are deeply sunken in_this head . he_is clean-shaven, pale, and ascetic- looking, retaining something of_the professor in_his features . his shoulders are rounded from much study, and_his face protrudes forward, and_is forever slowly oscillating from side to side in a curiously reptilian fashion . he peered at me with great curiosity in_his puckered eyes .

"' you_have less frontal development that i_should_have expected,' said he, at last .' it_is a dangerous habit to finger loaded firearms in_the pocket of one's dressing- gown .'

" the fact is_that upon his entrance I had instantly recognised the extreme personal danger in_which I lay . the only conceivable escape for him lay in silencing my tongue . in an instant I had slipped the revolved from_the drawer into my pocket, and was covering him through_the cloth . at his remark I drew the weapon out and laid it cocked upon_the table . he still smiled and blinked, but there_was something about his eyes which made me feel very_glad that I had it there .

"' you evidently don't now me,' said he .

"' on_the contrary,' I answered, ' i_think it_is fairly evident that I_do . pray take a chair . I_can spare you five minutes if_you_have anything to_say .'

"' all that I_have to_say has already crossed your mind,' said he .

"' then possibly my answer has crossed yours,' I replied .

"' you stand fast ? '

"' absolutely .'

" he clapped his hand into his pocket, and I raised the pistol from_the table . but he merely drew out a memorandum- book in_which he had scribbled some dates .

"' you crossed my patch on_the 4th of January,' said he .' on_the 23d you incommoded me; by_the middle of February i_was seriously inconvenienced by_you; at_the end of march i_was absolutely hampered in my plans; and now, at_the close of April, I_find myself placed in_such a position through your continual persecution that I_am in positive danger of losing my liberty . the situation is becoming an impossible one .'

"' have_you any suggestion to_make ? ' I asked .

"' you_must drop it, Mr Holmes,' said he, swaying his face about .' you really must, you_know .'

"' after Monday,' said I .

"'Tut, tut,' said he .' I_am quite_sure that a man of your intelligence will see that there can_be but one outcome to_this affair . it_is necessary that you_should withdraw . you_have worked things in_such a fashion that we_have only_one resource . it_has_been an intellectual treat to_me to_see the way in_which_you have grappled with_this affair, and I_say, unaffectedly, that_it would_be a grief to_me to_be forced to_take any extreme measure . you smile, sir, abut I assure you that_it really would .'

"' danger is part of_my trade,' I remarked .

"' that_is_not danger,' said he .' it_is inevitable destruction . you stand in_the way not merely of an individual, but of a might organisation, the full extent of_which you, with all your cleverness, have_been unable to realise . you_must stand clear, Mr Holmes, or be trodden under foot .'

"' I_am

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