No. 10 The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the Greek interpreter

by Arthur Conan Doyle

during my long and intimate acquaintance with Mr Sherlock Holmes I had never heard him refer to_his relations, and hardly ever to_his own early life . this reticence upon his part had increased the somewhat inhuman effect which he produced upon me, until sometimes I_found myself regarding him as an isolated phenomenon, a brain without a heart, as deficient in human sympathy as he_was pre- eminent in intelligence . his aversion to women and_his disinclination to_form new friendships were both typical of_his unemotional character, but not more so than his complete suppression of every reference to_his own people .I had come to_believe that he_was an orphan with no relatives living, but one day, to my very great surprise, he began to_talk to_me about his brother .

it_was after tea on a summer evening, and_the conversation, which had roamed in a desultory, spasmodic fashion from golf clubs to_the causes of_the change in_the obliquity of_the ecliptic, came round at last to_the question of atavism and hereditary aptitudes . the point under discussion was, how far any singular gift in an individual was due to_his ancestry and how far to_his own early training .

" in your own case," said I, " from all that you_have told me, it seems obvious that your faculty of observation and your peculiar facility for deduction are due to your own systematic training ."

" to some extent," he answered, thoughtfully ." my ancestors were country squires, who appear to_have led much the same life as is natural to_their class . but, none the less, my turn that way is in my veins, and may_have come with my grandmother, who was_the sister of Vernet, the French artist . art in_the blood is liable to take_the strangest forms ."

" but how do_you_know that_it_is hereditary ? "

" because my brother Mycroft possesses it in a larger degree than I_do ."

this_was news to_me indeed . if there were another man with_such singular powers in England, how was_it that neither police nor public had heard of him ? I put the question, with a hint that_it_was my companion's modesty which made him acknowledge his brother as his superior .Holmes laughed at my suggestion .

" my dear Watson," said he, " I_cannot agree with those who rank modesty among_the virtues . to_the logician all things should_be seen exactly as_they_are, and to underestimate one's self is as_much a departure from truth as_to exaggerate one's own powers . when I_say, therefore, that Mycroft has better powers of observation than I, you_may take it that I_am speaking the exact and literal truth ."

" is he your junior ? "

"Seven years my senior ."

" how comes it that he_is unknown ? "

"Oh, he_is very_well known in_his own circle ."

" where, then ? "

" well, in_the Diogenes club, for example ."

I had never heard of_the institution, and my face must_have proclaimed as_much, for Sherlock Holmes pulled out his watch .

" the Diogenes club is_the queerest club in London, and Mycroft one_of_the queerest men . he's always there from quarter to five to twenty to eight . it's six now, so if_you care for a stroll this beautiful evening I_shall_be very happy to introduce you to two curiosities ."

"Five minutes later we were in_the street, walking towards regent's circus .

" you wonder," said my companion, " why it is_that Mycroft does_not use his powers for detective work . he_is incapable of it ."

" but i_thought you said--"

" I_said that he_was my superior in observation and deduction . if_the art of_the detective began and ended in reasoning from an arm- chair, my brother would_be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived . but he has no ambition and no energy . he_will_not even go out of_his way to_verify his own solution, and would rather be considered wrong than take_the trouble to_prove himself right . again and again I_have taken a problem to him, and_have received an explanation which_has afterwards proved to_be the correct one . and yet he_was absolutely incapable of working out the practical points which_must be gone into before a case could_be laid before a judge or jury ."

" it_is_not his profession, then ? "

" by no means . what_is to_me ameans of livelihood is to him the merest hobby of a dilettante . he has an extraordinary faculty for figures, and audits the books in some_of_the government departments .Mycroft lodges in pall mall, and he walks round the corner into Whitehall every morning and back every evening . from year's end to year's end he takes no other exercise, and_is seen nowhere else, except only in_the Diogenes club, which_is just opposite his rooms ."

" I_cannot recall the name ."

" very likely not . there_are many men in London, you_know, who, some from shyness, some from misanthropy, have no wish for_the company of_their fellows . yet they_are_not averse to comfortable chairs and_the latest periodicals . it_is for_the convenience of_these that_the Diogenes club was started, and it now contains the most unsociable and unclubable men in town . no member is permitted to take_the least notice of any_other one . save in_the stranger's room, no talking is, under any circumstances, allowed, and three offences, if brought to_the notice of_the committee, render the talker liable to expulsion . my brother was one_of_the founders, and I_have myself found it a very soothing atmosphere ."

we had reached pall mall as_we talked, and were walking down it from_the St .James's end .Sherlock Holmes stopped at a door some little distance from_the Carlton, and, cautioning me not to_speak, he led the way into_the hall . through_the glass panelling I caught a glimpse of a large and luxurious room, in_which a considerable number of men were sitting about and reading papers, each in_his own little nook .Holmes showed me into a small chamber which looked out into pall mall, and then, leaving me for a minute, he_came back with a companion whom I_knew could only be his brother .

Mycroft Holmes was a much larger and stouter man than Sherlock . his body was absolutely corpulent, but is face, though massive, had preserved something of_the sharpness of expression which_was so remarkable in_that of_his brother . his eyes, which were of a peculiarly light, watery grey, seemed to always retain that far- away, introspective look which I had only observed in Sherlock's when he_was exerting his full powers .

" I_am_glad to meet you, sir," said he, putting out a broad, fat hand like the flipper of a seal ."I hear of Sherlock everywhere since you became his chronicler . by_the_way, Sherlock, I expected to_see you round last week, to consult me over that manor house case . i_thought you_might_be a little out of your depth ."

" no, I solved it," said my friend, smiling .

" it_was Adams, of_course ."

" yes, it_was Adams ."

" i_was sure of it from_the first ." the two sat down together in_the bow- window of_the club ." to any_one who wishes to study mankind this_is_the spot," said Mycroft ." look at_the magnificent types ! look at_these two men who_are coming towards us, for example ."

" the billiard- marker and_the other ? "

" precisely . what do_you make of_the other ? "

the two men had stopped opposite the window . some chalk marks over the waistcoat pocket were the only signs of billiards which I could_see in one_of_them . the other was a very_small, dark fellow, with_his hat pushed back and several packages under his arm .

" an old soldier, I perceive," said Sherlock .

" and very recently discharged," remarked the brother .

" served in India, I_see ."

" and anon- commissioned officer ."

" royal artillery, I fancy," said Sherlock .

" and a widower ."

" but with a child ."

" children, my dear boy, children ."

" come," said I, laughing, " this_is a little too_much ."

" surely," answered Holmes, " it_is_not hard to_say that a man with_that bearing, expression of authority, and sunbaked skin, is a soldier, is more than a private, and is_not long from India ."

" that he has_not left the service long is shown by his still wearing is ammunition boots, as_they_are called," observed Mycroft .

" he had_not the cavalry stride, yet he wore his hat on one side, as is shown by_the lighter skin of_that side of_his brow . his weight is against his being a sapper . he_is in_the artillery ."

" then, of_course, his complete mourning shows that he has lost some one very dear . the fact that he_is doing his own shopping looks as_though it were his wife . he has_been buying things for children, you perceive . there_is a rattle, which shows that one_of_them is very young . the wife probably died in childbed . the fact that he has a picture- book under his arm shows that_there_is another child to_be thought of ."

I began to understand what my friend meant when he_said that his brother possessed even keener faculties that he_did himself . he glanced across at me and smiled .Mycroft took snuff from a tortoise- shell box, and brushed away the wandering grains from_his coat front with a large, red silk handkerchief .

" by_the_way, Sherlock," said he, " I_have_had something quite after your own heart--a most singular problem-- submitted to my judgement .I really had_not the energy to_follow it up save in a very incomplete fashion, but it gave_me a basis for some pleasing speculation . if_you_would care to hear the facts--"

" my dear Mycroft, i_should_be delighted ."

the brother scribbled a note upon a leaf of_his pocket- book, and, ringing the bell, he handed it to_the waiter .

" I_have asked Mr Melas to step across," said he ." he lodges on_the floor above me, and I_have some slight acquaintance with_him, which led him to_come to_me in_his perplexity .Mr Melas is a Greek by extraction, as I understand, and he_is a remarkable linguist . he earns his living partly as interpreter in_the law courts and partly by acting as guide to any wealthy Orientals who_may visit the Northumberland avenue hotels . i_think i_will leave him to_tell his very remarkable experience in_his own fashion ."

a few_minutes later we were joined by a short, stout man whose olive face and coal- black hair proclaimed his southern origin, though his speech was_that of an educated Englishman . he shook hands eagerly with Sherlock Holmes, and_his dark eyes sparkled with pleasure when he understood that_the specialist was anxious to hear his story .

" I_do_not believe that_the police credit me-- on my word, I_do_not," said he in awailing voice ." just because they_have never heard of it before, they_think that such a thing cannot_be . but I_know that I_shall never be easy in my mind until I_know what has become of_my poor man with_the sticking- plaster upon his face ."

" I_am all attention," said Sherlock Holmes .

" this_is Wednesday evening," said Mr Melas ." well then, it_was Monday night-- only two days_ago, you understand-- that all this happened . I_am an interpreter, as perhaps my neighbour there has told you .I interpret all languages-- or nearly all-- but as I_am a Greek by birth and with aGrecian name, it_is with_that particular tongue that I_am principally associated . for many years I_have_been the chief Greek interpreter in London, and my name is very_well known in_the hotels . it happens not infrequently that I_am sent for at strange hours by foreigners who get into difficulties, or by traveller who arrive late and wish my services . i_was not surprised, therefore, on Monday night when aMr Latimer, a very fashionably dressed young man, came up_to my rooms and asked me to accompany him in a cab which_was waiting at_the door .a Greek friend had come to_see him upon business, he_said, and as he_could speak nothing but his own tongue, the services of an interpreter were indispensable . he_gave me to understand that his house was some little distance off, in Kensington, and he_seemed to_be in a great hurry, bustling me rapidly into_the cab when we had descended to_the street .

" I_say into_the cab, but I soon became doubtful as_to whether it_was not a carriage in_which I_found myself . it_was certainly more roomy than_the ordinary four- wheeled disgrace to London, and_the fittings, though frayed, were of rich quality .Mr Latimer seated himself opposite to_me and we started off through Charing cross and up the Shaftesbury avenue . we had come out upon Oxford street and I had ventured some remark as_to_this being a roundabout way to Kensington, when my words were arrested by_the extraordinary conduct of_my companion .

" he began by drawing a most formidable- looking bludgeon loaded with lead from_his pocket, and switching it backward and forward several_times, as_if to test its weight and strength . then he placed it without a word upon_the seat beside him .Having done this, he drew up the windows on each side, and I_found to my astonishment that_they were covered with paper so as to_prevent my seeing through them .

"' I_am sorry to cut off your view, Mr Melas,' said he .' the fact is_that I_have no intention that you_should see what the place is to which_we_are driving . it might possibly be inconvenient to_me if_you_could find your way there again .'

" as_you_can imagine, i_was utterly taken aback by such an address . my companion was a powerful, broad- shouldered young fellow, and, apart from_the weapon, I should_not have_had the slightest chance in a struggle with_him .

"' this_is very extraordinary conduct, Mr Latimer,' I stammered

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