No. 10 The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez by Arthur Conan Doyle
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at_that point ."

" well, on_the road itself ? "

" no; it_was all trodden into mire ."

"Tut-tut ! well, then, these tracks upon_the grass, were they coming or going ? "

" it_was impossible to_say . there_was never any outline ."

"A large foot or a small ? "

" you_could_not distinguish ."

Holmes gave an ejaculation of impatience .

" it_has_been pouring rain and blowing a hurricane ever_since," said he ." it_will_be harder to read now than that palimpsest . well, well, it can't be helped . what did you_do, Hopkins, after you had made certain that you had made certain of nothing ? "

" i_think I_made certain of a good_deal, Mr Holmes . I_knew that someone had entered the house cautiously from without .I next examined the corridor . it_is lined with coconut matting and had taken no impression of any kind . this brought me into_the study itself . it_is a scantily- furnished room . the main article is a large writing- table with a fixed bureau . this bureau consists of a double column of drawers with a central small cupboard between_them . the drawers were open, the cupboard locked . the drawers, it seems, were always open, and nothing of value was kept in_them . there were some papers of importance in_the cupboard, but there were no signs that_this had_been tampered with, and_the professor assures me that nothing was missing . it_is certain that no robbery has_been committed .

"I come now to_the body of_the young man . it_was found near the bureau, and just to_the left of it, as marked upon that chart . the stab was on_the right side of_the neck and from behind forwards, so that_it_is almost impossible that_it could_have_been self- inflicted ."

" unless he fell upon_the knife," said Holmes .

" exactly . the idea crossed my mind . but we_found the knife some feet away from_the body, so_that seems impossible . then, of_course, there_are the man's own dying words . and, finally, there_was this very_important piece of evidence which_was found clasped in_the dead man's right hand ."

from_his pocket Stanley Hopkins drew a small paper packet . he unfolded it and disclosed a golden pince-nez, with two broken ends of black silk cord dangling from_the end of it .

"Willoughby smith had excellent sight," he added ." there can_be no question that_this was snatched from_the face or the person of_the assassin ."

Sherlock Holmes took the glasses into his hand and examined them with_the utmost attention and interest . he held them on_his nose, endeavoured to read through them, went to_the window and stared up the street with_them, looked at them most minutely in_the full light of_the lamp, and finally, with a chuckle, seated himself at_the table and wrote a few lines upon a sheet of paper, which he tossed across to Stanley Hopkins .

" that's the best I_can do for_you," said he ." it may prove to_be of some use ."

the astonished detective read the note aloud . it ran as follows:--

" wanted, a woman of good address, attired like a lady . she has aremarkably thick nose, with eyes which are set close upon either side of it . she has a puckered forehead, apeering expression, and probably rounded shoulders . there_are indications that she has had recourse to an optician at_least twice during_the_last few_months . as her glasses are of remarkable strength and as opticians are_not very numerous, there should_be no difficulty in tracing her ."

Holmes smiled at_the astonishment of Hopkins, which_must have_been reflected upon my features .

" surely my deductions are simplicity itself," said he ." it would_be difficult to name any articles which afford a finer field for inference than a pair of glasses, especially so remarkable a pair as_these . that_they belong to a woman I infer from their delicacy, and also, of_course, from_the last words of_the dying man . as_to her being a person of refinement and well dressed, they_are, as_you perceive, handsomely mounted in solid gold, and it_is inconceivable that anyone who wore such glasses could_be slatternly in other respects . you_will_find that_the clips are too wide for your nose, showing that_the lady's nose was very broad at_the base . this sort of nose is usually a short and coarse one, but there_are a sufficient number of exceptions to_prevent me from being dogmatic or from insisting upon_this point in my description . my own face is a narrow one, and yet I_find that I_cannot get my eyes into_the centre, or near the centre, of_these glasses . therefore the lady's eyes are set very near to_the sides of_the nose . you_will perceive, Watson, that_the glasses are concave and of unusual strength .a lady whose vision has_been so extremely contracted all her life is sure to_have the physical characteristics of_such vision, which are seen in_the forehead, the eyelids, and_the shoulders ."

" yes," I_said, " I_can follow each of your arguments .I confess, however, that I_am unable to understand how you arrive at_the double visit to_the optician ."

Holmes took the glasses in_his hand .

" you_will perceive," he_said, " that_the clips are lined with tiny bands of Cork to soften the pressure upon_the nose . one_of_these is discoloured and worn to some slight extent, but the other is new .Evidently one has fallen off and been replaced . i_should judge that_the older of_them has_not_been there more than a few_months . they exactly correspond, so I gather that_the lady went back to_the same establishment for_the second ."

" by George, it's marvellous ! " cried Hopkins, in an ecstasy of admiration ." to_think that I had all that evidence in my hand and never knew it ! I had intended, however, to_go the round of_the London opticians ."

" of_course you_would . meanwhile, have_you anything more to_tell us about_the case ? "

" nothing, Mr Holmes . i_think that you_know as_much as I_do now -- probably more . we_have_had inquiries made as_to any stranger seen on_the country roads or at_the railway station . we_have heard of none . what beats me is_the utter want of all object in_the crime . not a ghost of a motive can anyone suggest ."

"Ah ! there I_am not in_a_position to help_you . but I suppose you_want us to_come out to- morrow ? "

" if it_is_not asking too_much, Mr Holmes . there's a train from Charing cross to Chatham at six in_the morning, and we_should_be at Yoxley old place between eight and nine ."

" then we_shall take it . your case has certainly some features of great interest, and I_shall_be delighted to look into_it . well, it's nearly one, and we had best get a few hours' sleep .I dare say you_can manage all right on_the sofa in front of_the fire .I'll light my spirit- lamp and give_you a cup of coffee before we start ."

the gale had blown itself out next_day, but it_was a bitter morning when we started upon our journey . we saw the cold winter sun rise over the dreary marshes of_the Thames and_the long, sullen reaches of_the river, which I_shall ever associate with_our pursuit of_the Andaman islander in_the earlier days of_our career . after a long and weary journey we alighted at a small station some miles from Chatham . while a horse was being put into a trap at_the local inn we snatched ahurried breakfast, and so we were all ready for business when we at last arrived at Yoxley old place .a constable met us at_the garden gate .

" well, Wilson, any news ? "

" no, sir, nothing ."

" no reports of any stranger seen ? "

" no, sir . down at_the station they_are certain that no stranger either came or went yesterday ."

" have_you had inquiries made at inns and lodgings ? "

" yes, sir; there_is no one that we_cannot account for ."

" well, it's only a reasonable walk to Chatham . anyone might stay there, or take a train without being observed . this_is_the garden path of_which I spoke, Mr Holmes .I'll pledge my word there_was no mark on_it yesterday ."

" on_which side were the marks on_the grass ? "

" this side, sir . this narrow margin of grass between_the path and_the flower- bed . I_can't see the traces now, but they were clear to_me then ."

" yes, yes; someone has passed along," said Holmes, stooping over the grass border ." our lady must_have picked her steps carefully, must she not, since on_the one side she_would leave a track on_the path, and on_the other an even clearer one on_the soft bed ? "

" yes, sir, she must_have been a cool hand ."

I_saw an intent look pass over Holmes's face .

" you say that she must_have come back this_way ? "

" yes, sir; there_is no other ."

" on_this strip of grass ? "

" certainly, Mr Holmes ."

" hum ! it_was a very remarkable performance -- very remarkable . well, i_think we_have exhausted the path . let_us go farther . this garden door is usually kept open, I suppose ? then this visitor had nothing to_do but to walk in . the idea of murder was not in her mind, or she would_have provided herself with some sort of weapon, instead of having to pick this knife off the writing- table . she advanced along_this corridor, leaving no traces upon_the coconut matting . then she found herself in_this study . how long was she there ? we_have no means of judging ."

" not more than a few_minutes, sir .I forgot to_tell you that Mrs marker, the housekeeper, had_been in there tidying not very long before -- about a quarter of an hour, she says ."

" well, that gives us a limit . our lady enters this room and what does she do ? she goes over to_the writing- table . what for ? not for anything in_the drawers . if there had_been anything worth her taking it would surely have_been locked up . no; it_was for something in_that wooden bureau .Halloa ! what_is that scratch upon_the face of it ? just hold a match, Watson . why did you not tell me of_this, Hopkins ? "

the mark which he_was examining began upon_the brass work on_the right- hand side of_the keyhole, and extended for about four inches, where it had scratched the varnish from_the surface .

"I noticed it, Mr Holmes . but you'll always find scratches round a keyhole ."

" this_is recent, quite recent . see how the brass shines where it_is cut . an old scratch would_be the same colour as_the surface . look at it through my lens . there's the varnish, too, like earth on each side of a furrow . is Mrs marker there ? "

a sad- faced, elderly woman came into_the room .

" did you dust this bureau yesterday morning ? "

" yes, sir ."

" did you notice this scratch ? "

" no, sir, I_did_not ."

" I_am_sure you_did_not, for a duster would_have swept away these shreds of varnish . who has_the key of_this bureau ? "

" the professor keeps it on_his watch- chain ."

" is_it a simple key ? "

" no, sir; it_is aChubb's key ."

" very_good .Mrs marker, you_can go . now we_are making a little progress . our lady enters the room, advances to_the bureau, and either opens it or tries to_do_so . while she_is thus engaged young Willoughby smith enters the room . in her hurry to withdraw the key she makes this scratch upon_the door . he seizes her, and she, snatching up the nearest object, which happens to_be this knife, strikes at him in_order to_make him let go his hold . the blow is a fatal one . he falls and she escapes, either with or without the object for_which she has_come . is Susan the maid there ? could anyone have got away through_that door after_the time that you heard the cry, Susan ? "

" no sir; it_is impossible . before I got down the stair I'd have seen anyone in_the passage . besides, the door never opened, for i_would_have heard it ."

" that settles this exit . then no_doubt the lady went out the way she came .I understand that_this other passage leads only to_the professor's room . there_is no exit that way ? "

" no, sir ."

" we_shall go down it and make_the acquaintance of_the professor .Halloa, Hopkins ! this_is very_important, very_important indeed . the professor's corridor is also lined with coconut matting ."

" well, sir, what of_that ? "

"Don't you_see any bearing upon_the case ? well, well, I don't insist upon it . no_doubt I_am wrong . and yet it seems to_me to_be suggestive . come with me and introduce me ."

we passed down the passage, which_was of_the same length as_that which led to_the garden . at_the end was a short flight of steps ending in a door . our guide knocked, and then ushered us into_the professor's bedroom .

it_was a very large chamber, lined with innumerable volumes, which had overflowed from_the shelves and lay in piles in_the corners, or were stacked all round at_the base of_the cases . the bed was in_the centre of_the room, and in_it, propped up with pillows, was_the owner of_the house . I_have seldom seen a more remarkable- looking person . it_was agaunt, aquiline face which_was turned towards us, with piercing dark eyes, which lurked in deep hollows under overhung and tufted brows . his hair and beard were white, save that_the latter was curiously stained with yellow around his mouth .a cigarette glowed amid the tangle of white hair, and_the air of_the room was fetid with stale tobacco- smoke . as he held out his hand to Holmes I perceived that_it also was stained yellow with nicotine .

"A smoker, Mr Holmes ? " said he, speaking well- chosen English with

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