No. 4 The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the stock- broker's clerk

by Arthur Conan Doyle

shortly after my marriage I had bought a connection in_the Paddington district . old Mr Farquhar, from whom I purchased it, had at one_time an excellent general practice; but his age, and an affliction of_the nature of St .Vitus's dance from_which he suffered, had very_much thinned it . the public not unnaturally goes on_the principle that he who_would heal others must himself be whole, and looks askance at_the curative powers of_the man whose own case is beyond the reach of_his drugs . thus as my predecessor weakened his practice declined, until when I purchased it from_him it had sunk from twelve hundred to little more than three hundred a year .I had confidence, however, in my own youth and energy, and was convinced that in a very few years the concern would_be as flourishing as ever .

for three months after taking over the practice i_was kept very closely at work, and saw little of_my friend Sherlock Holmes, for i_was too busy to visit baker street, and he seldom went anywhere himself save upon professional business . i_was surprised, therefore, when, one morning in June, as I sat reading the British medical journal after breakfast, I heard a ring at_the bell, followed by_the high, somewhat strident tones of_my old companion's voice .

"Ah, my dear Watson," said he, striding into_the room, " I_am very delighted to_see you ! I trust that Mrs Watson has entirely recovered from all the little excitements connected with_our adventure of_the sign of Four ."

" thank_you, we_are both very_well," said I, shaking him warmly by_the hand .

" and I_hope, also," he continued, sitting down in_the rocking- chair, " that_the cares of medical practice have_not entirely obliterated the interest which you used to_take in_our little deductive problems ."

" on_the contrary," I answered, " it_was only last night that i_was looking over my old notes, and classifying some_of_our past results ."

"I trust that you don't consider your collection closed ."

" not at all . i_should wish nothing better than to_have some more of_such experiences ."

" to- day, for example ? "

" yes, to- day, if_you like ."

" and as far off as Birmingham ? "

" certainly, if_you_wish it ."

" and_the practice ? "

" I_do my neighbour's when he goes . he_is always ready to work off the debt ."

"Ha ! nothing could_be better," said Holmes, leaning back in_his chair and looking keenly at me from under his half closed lids ."I perceive that you_have_been unwell lately . summer colds are always a little trying ."

" i_was confined to_the house by a sever chill for three days last week . i_thought, however, that I had cast off every trace of it ."

" so you_have . you look remarkably robust ."

" how, then, did you_know of it ? "

" my dear fellow, you_know my methods ."

" you deduced it, then ? "

" certainly ."

" and from what ? "

" from your slippers ."

I glanced down at_the new patent leathers which i_was wearing ." how on earth--" I began, but Holmes answered my question before it_was asked .

" your slippers are new," he_said ." you_could_not_have had them more than a few weeks . the soles which you_are at_this moment presenting to_me are slightly scorched . for a moment i_thought they_might have got wet and been burned in_the drying . but near the instep there_is a small circular wafer of paper with_the shopman's hieroglyphics upon it . damp would of_course have removed this . you had, then, been sitting with_our feet outstretched to_the fire, which a man would hardly do even in so wet a June as_this if he were in_his full health ."

like all Holmes's reasoning the thing seemed simplicity itself when it_was once explained . he read the thought upon my features, and_his smile had a tinge of bitterness .

" I_am afraid that I rather give myself away when I explain," said he ."Results without causes are much more impressive . you_are ready to_come to Birmingham, then ? "

" certainly . what_is the case ? "

" you shall hear it all in_the train . my client is outside in afour-wheeler . can_you come at once ? "

" in an instant ." I scribbled a note to my neighbour, rushed upstairs to explain the matter to my wife, and joined Holmes upon_the door- step .

" your neighbour is a doctor," said he, nodding at_the brass plate .

" yes; he bought a practice as I_did ."

" an old- established one ? "

" just the same as mine . both have_been ever_since the houses were built ."

"Ah ! then you got hold of_the best of_the two ."

" i_think I_did . but how do_you_know ? "

" by_the steps, my boy . yours are worn three inches deeper than his . but this gentleman in_the cab is my client, Mr hall Pycroft . allow me to introduce you to him . whip your horse up, cabby, for we_have only just time to catch our train ."

the man whom I_found myself facing was a well built, fresh- complexioned young fellow, with a frank, honest face and a slight, crisp, yellow moustache . he wore a very shiny top hat and a neat suit of sober black, which made him look what he_was--a smart young city man, of_the class who have_been labelled cockneys, but who give_us our crack volunteer regiments, and who turn out more fine athletes and sportsmen than any body of men in_these islands . his round, ruddy face was naturally full of cheeriness, but the corners of_his mouth seemed to_me to_be pulled down in a half- comical distress . it_was not, however, until we were all in a first- class carriage and well started upon our journey to Birmingham that i_was able to learn what the trouble was which had driven him to Sherlock Holmes .

" we_have a clear run here of seventy minutes," Holmes remarked ." i_want you, Mr hall Pycroft, to_tell my friend your very interesting experience exactly as_you_have told it to_me, or with more detail if possible . it_will_be of use to_me to hear the succession of events again . it_is a case, Watson, which_may prove to_have something in_it, or may prove to_have nothing, but which, at_least, presents those unusual and outr features which are as dear to_you as_they_are to_me . now, Mr Pycroft, I_shall_not interrupt you again ."

our young companion looked at me with a twinkle in_his eye .

the worst of_the story is, said he, that I show myself up as such a confounded fool . of_course it may work out all right, and I don't see that I_could_have done otherwise; but if I_have lost my crib and get nothing in exchange I_shall feel what a soft Johnny I_have_been .I'm not very_good at telling a story, Dr .Watson, but it_is like this with me"

I used to_have a billet at Coxon & Woodhouse's, of draper's Gardens, but they were let in early in_the spring through_the Venezuelan loan, as no_doubt you remember, and came a nasty cropper .I had_been with_them five years, and old Coxon gave_me aripping good testimonial when_the smash came, but of_course we clerks were all turned adrift, the twenty-seven of us .I tried here and tried there, but there were lots of other chaps on_the same lay as myself, and it_was a perfect frost for_a_long_time .I had_been taking three pounds a week at Coxon's, and I had saved about seventy of_them, but I soon worked my way through_that and out at_the other end . i_was fairly at_the end of_my tether at last, and could hardly find the stamps to answer the advertisements or the envelopes to stick them to .I had worn out my boots paddling up office stairs, and I seemed just as far from getting a billet as ever .

at last I_saw a vacancy at Mawson & Williams's, the great stock-broking firm in Lombard street .I dare say E .C . is_not much in your line, but I_can tell you that_this_is about_the richest house in London . the advertisement was to_be answered by letter only . I_sent in my testimonial and application, but without the least hope of getting it . back came an answer by return, saying that if i_would appear next Monday I_might take over my new duties at once, provided that my appearance was satisfactory . no one knows how these things are worked . some people say that_the manager just plunges his hand into_the heap and takes the first that comes .Anyhow it_was my innings that_time, and I don't ever wish to_feel better pleased . the screw was a pound a week rise, and_the duties just about_the same as at Coxon's .

and now I come to_the queer part of_the business . i_was in diggings out Hampstead way, 17 Potter's terrace . well, i_was sitting doing a smoke that very evening after I had_been promised the appointment, when up came my landlady with a card which had " Arthur Pinner, financial agent," printed upon it .I had never heard the name before and could_not imagine what he_wanted with me; but, of_course, I asked her to show him up . in he walked, a middle- sized, dark- haired, dark- eyed, black- bearded man, with a touch of_the Sheeny about his nose . he had a brisk kind of way with_him and spoke sharply, like a man who knew the value of_time .

" Mr hall Pycroft, I believe ? " said he .

" yes, sir," I answered, pushing a chair towards him .

" lately engaged at Coxon & Woodhouse's ? "

" yes, sir ."

" and now on_the staff of Mawson's ."

" quite so ."

" well," said he, " the fact is_that I_have heard some really extraordinary stories about_your financial ability . you remember Parker, who used to_be Coxon's manager ? he_can never say enough about_it ."

of_course i_was pleased to hear this .I had always been pretty sharp in_the office, but I had never dreamed that i_was talked about in_the city in_this fashion .

" you_have a good memory ? " said he .

" pretty fair," I answered, modestly .

" have_you kept in touch with_the market while you_have_been out of work ? " he asked .

" yes . I_read the stock exchange list every morning ."

" now that shows real application ! " he cried ." that_is_the way to prosper ! you won't mind my testing you, will_you ? let me see . how are Ayrshires ? "

"A hundred and six and a quarter to a hundred and five and seven-eighths ."

" and New_Zealand consolidated ? "

"A hundred and four ."

" and British broken Hills ? "

"Seven to seven- and-six ."

" wonderful ! " he cried, with_his hands up ." this quite fits in with all that I had heard . my boy, my boy, you_are very_much too good to_be a clerk at Mawson's ! "

this outburst rather astonished me, as_you_can think ." well," said I, " other people don't think quite so_much of me as_you seem to_do, Mr Pinner .I had a hard enough fight to_get this berth, and I_am very glad_to_have it ."

"Pooh, man; you_should soar above it . you_are_not in your true sphere . now, I'll tell you how it stands with me . what I_have to offer is little enough when measured by your ability, but when compared with Mawson's, it's light to dark . let me see . when do_you go to Mawson's ? "

" on Monday ."

"Ha, ha ! i_think i_would risk a little sporting flutter that you don't go there at all ."

" not go to Mawson's ? "

" no, sir . by_that day you_will_be the business manager of_the Franco- midland hardware company, limited, with a hundred and thirty-four branches in_the towns and villages of France, not counting one in Brussels and one in San Remo ."

this took my breath away ."I never heard of it," said I .

" very likely not . it_has_been kept very quiet, for_the capital was all privately subscribed, and it's too good a thing to let the public into . my brother, Harry Pinner, is promoter, and joins the board after allotment as managing director . he_knew i_was in_the swim down here, and asked me to pick up a good man cheap .a young, pushing man with plenty of snap about him .Parker spoke of you, and_that brought me here tonight . we_can only offer you abeggarly five hundred to start with ."

"Five hundred a year ! " I shouted .

" only that at_the beginning; but you_are to_have an overriding commission of one per cent on all business done by your agents, and you_may take my word for_it that this_will come to more than your salary ."

" but I_know nothing about hardware ."

"Tut, my boy; you_know about figures ."

my head buzzed, and I_could hardly sit still in my chair . but suddenly a little chill of doubt came upon me .

" I_must_be frank with_you," said I ."Mawson only gives me two hundred, but Mawson is safe . now, really, I_know so little about_your company that--"

"Ah, smart, smart ! " he cried, in a kind of ecstasy of delight ." you_are the very man for_us . you_are_not to_be talked over, and quite right, too . now, here's a note for a hundred pounds, and if_you_think that we_can do business you_may just slip it into your pocket as an advance upon your salary ."

" that_is very handsome," said I ." when should I take over my new duties ? "

" be in Birmingham to- morrow at one," said he ." I_have a note in my pocket here which you_will take to my brother . you_will_find him at 126b corporation street, where the temporary offices of_the company are situated . of_course he_must confirm your engagement, but between ourselves it_will_be all right ."

" really, I hardly know how to express my gratitude, Mr Pinner," said I .

" not at all, my boy . you_have only got your desserts . there_are one_or_two

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