A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
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to observation and analysis . his conclusions were as infallible as so_many propositions of Euclid . so startling would his results appear to_the uninitiated that until they learned the processes by_which he had arrived at them they_might well consider him as anecromancer .

" from a drop of water," said the writer, "a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or aNiagara without having seen or heard of one or the other . so all life is a great chain, the nature of which_is known whenever we_are shown a single link of it . like all other arts, the science of deduction and analysis is one which can only be acquired by long and patient study nor is life long enough to allow any mortal to attain the highest possible perfection in_it . before turning to_those moral and mental aspects of_the matter which present the greatest difficulties, let the enquirer begin by mastering more elementary problems . let him, on meeting a fellow- mortal, learn at a glance to distinguish the history of_the man, and_the trade or profession to_which he belongs . puerile as such an exercise may seem, it sharpens the faculties of observation, and teaches one where to look and what to look for . by a man's finger nails, by his coat- sleeve, by his boot, by his trouser knees, by_the callosities of_his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt cuffs -- by each of_these things a man's calling is plainly revealed . that all united should fail to enlighten the competent enquirer in any case is almost inconceivable ."

" what ineffable twaddle ! " I cried, slapping the magazine down on_the table, "I never read such rubbish in my life ."

" what_is it ? " asked Sherlock Holmes .

" why, this article," I_said, pointing at it with my egg spoon as I sat down to my breakfast ." I_see that you_have read it since you_have marked it .I don't deny that_it_is smartly written . it irritates me though . it_is evidently the theory of some arm- chair lounger who evolves all these neat little paradoxes in_the seclusion of_his own study . it_is_not practical . i_should like to_see him clapped down in a third class carriage on_the underground, and asked to_give the trades of all his fellow-travellers . i_would lay a thousand to one against him ."

" you_would lose your money," Sherlock Holmes remarked calmly ." as for_the article i_wrote it myself ."

" you ! "

" yes, I_have a turn both for observation and for deduction . the theories which I_have expressed there, and which appear to_you to_be so chimerical are really extremely practical -- so practical that I depend upon them for_my bread and cheese ."

" and how ? " I asked involuntarily .

" well, I_have a trade of_my own .I suppose I_am the only_one in_the_world .I'm aconsulting detective, if_you_can understand what that_is . here in London we_have lots of government detectives and lots of private ones . when these fellows are at fault they_come to_me, and I manage to_put them on_the right scent . they lay all the evidence before me, and I_am generally able, by_the help of_my knowledge of_the history of crime, to set them straight . there_is a strong family resemblance about misdeeds, and if_you_have all the details of a thousand at your finger ends, it_is odd if_you_can't unravel the thousand and first .Lestrade is a well- known detective . he got himself into a fog recently over a forgery case, and_that was what brought him here ."

" and these other people ? "

" they_are mostly sent on by private inquiry agencies . they_are all people who_are in trouble about something, and want a little enlightening .I listen to_their story, they listen to my comments, and then I pocket my fee ."

" but do_you_mean to_say," I_said, " that without leaving your room you_can unravel some knot which other men can make nothing of, although they_have seen every detail for themselves ? "

" quite so . I_have a kind of intuition that way . now and again a case turns up which_is a little more complex . then I_have to bustle about and_see things with my own eyes . you_see I_have alot of special knowledge which I apply to_the problem, and which facilitates matters wonderfully . those rules of deduction laid down in_that article which aroused your scorn, are invaluable to_me in practical work . observation with me is second nature . you appeared to_be surprised when i_told you, on_our first meeting, that you had come from Afghanistan ."

" you were told, no_doubt ."

" nothing of_the sort . I_knew you came from Afghanistan . from long habit the train of thoughts ran so swiftly through my mind, that I arrived at_the conclusion without being conscious of intermediate steps . there were such steps, however . the train of reasoning ran, ` here_is a gentleman of a medical type, but with_the air of a military man . clearly an army doctor, then . he has just come from_the tropics, for_his face is dark, and that_is_not the natural tint of_his skin, for_his wrists are fair . he has undergone hardship and sickness, as his haggard face says clearly . his left arm has_been injured . he holds it in a stiff and unnatural manner . where in_the tropics could an English army doctor have seen much hardship and got his arm wounded ? clearly in Afghanistan .' the whole train of thought did_not occupy a second .I then remarked that you came from Afghanistan, and you were astonished ."

" it_is simple enough as_you explain it," I_said, smiling ." you remind me of Edgar Allen Poe's Dupin .I had no idea that such individuals did exist outside of stories ."

Sherlock Holmes rose and lit his pipe ." no_doubt you_think that you_are complimenting me in comparing me to Dupin," he observed ." now, in my opinion, Dupin was a very inferior fellow . that trick of_his of breaking in on_his friends' thoughts with an apropos remark after a quarter of an hour's silence is really very showy and superficial . he had some analytical genius, no_doubt; but he_was by no means such a phenomenon as Poe appeared to imagine ."

" have_you read Gaboriau's works ? " I asked ."Does Lecoq come up_to your idea of a detective ? "

Sherlock Holmes sniffed sardonically ."Lecoq was a miserable bungler," he_said, in an angry voice; " he had only one_thing to recommend him, and_that was his energy . that book made me positively ill . the question was how to identify an unknown prisoner . I_could_have done it in twenty-four hours .Lecoq took six months or so . it might_be made a text- book for detectives to teach them what to avoid ."

I_felt rather indignant at having two characters whom I had admired treated in_this cavalier style .I walked over to_the window, and stood looking out into_the busy street ." this fellow may_be very clever," I_said to myself, " but he_is certainly very conceited ."

" there_are no crimes and no criminals in_these days," he_said, querulously ." what_is the use of having brains in_our profession . I_know well that I_have it in me to_make my name famous . no man lives or has ever lived who has brought the same amount of study and of natural talent to_the detection of crime which I_have_done . and what_is the result ? there_is no crime to detect, or, at most, some bungling villany with a motive so transparent that even a Scotland yard official can_see through it ."

i_was still annoyed at his bumptious style of conversation . i_thought it best to_change the topic .

"I wonder what that fellow is looking for ? " I asked, pointing to a stalwart, plainly- dressed individual who was walking slowly down the other side of_the street, looking anxiously at_the numbers . he had a large blue envelope in_his hand, and was evidently the bearer of a message .

" you mean the retired sergeant of Marines," said Sherlock Holmes .

" brag and bounce ! " thought I to myself ." he_knows that I_cannot verify his guess ."

the thought had hardly passed through my mind when_the man whom we were watching caught sight of_the number on_our door, and ran rapidly across the roadway . we heard a loud knock, a deep voice below, and heavy steps ascending the stair .

" for_Mr Sherlock Holmes," he_said, stepping into_the room and handing my friend the letter .

here was an opportunity of taking the conceit out of him . he little thought of_this when he_made that random shot ." may I ask, my lad," I_said, in_the blandest voice, " what your trade may_be ? "

"Commissionaire, sir," he_said, gruffly ." uniform away for repairs ."

" and you were ? " I asked, with a slightly malicious glance at my companion .

"A sergeant, sir, royal marine light infantry, sir . no answer ? right, sir ."

he clicked his heels together, raised his hand in a salute, and was gone .

chapter III .

the LAURISTON garden mystery {6}

I confess that i_was considerably startled by_this fresh proof of_the practical nature of_my companion's theories . my respect for_his powers of analysis increased wondrously . there still remained some lurking suspicion in my mind, however, that_the whole thing was apre- arranged episode, intended to dazzle me, though what earthly object he could_have in taking me in was past my comprehension . when I looked at him he had finished reading the note, and_his eyes had assumed the vacant, lack-lustre expression which showed mental abstraction .

" how in_the_world did you deduce that ? " I asked .

" deduce what ? " said he, petulantly .

" why, that he_was a retired sergeant of Marines ."

" I_have no time for trifles," he answered, brusquely; then with a smile, " excuse my rudeness . you broke the thread of_my thoughts; but perhaps it_is as_well . so you actually were_not able to_see that that man was a sergeant of Marines ? "

" no, indeed ."

" it_was easier to_know it than to explain why I_knew it . if_you were asked to_prove that two and two made four, you_might find some difficulty, and yet you_are quite_sure of_the fact . even across the street I could_see a great blue anchor tattooed on_the back of_the fellow's hand . that smacked of_the sea . he had a military carriage, however, and regulation side whiskers . there we_have the marine . he_was a man with some amount of self- importance and a certain air of command . you_must_have observed the way in_which he held his head and swung his cane .a steady, respectable, middle- aged man, too, on_the face of him -- all facts which led me to_believe that he had_been a sergeant ."

" wonderful ! " I ejaculated .

" commonplace," said Holmes, though i_thought from_his expression that he_was pleased at my evident surprise and admiration ." I_said just now that there were no criminals . it appears that I_am wrong -- look at_this ! " he threw me over the note which the commissionaire had brought ." {7}

" why," I cried, as I cast my eye over it, " this_is terrible ! "

" it does seem_to_be a little out_of_the common," he remarked, calmly ." would you mind reading it to_me aloud ? "

this_is_the letter which I_read to him ----

" my dear_Mr .SHERLOCK HOLMES, -- " there_has_been a bad business during the night at 3, Lauriston Gardens, off the Brixton road . our man on_the beat saw a light there about two in_the morning, and as_the house was an empty one, suspected that something was amiss . he_found the door open, and in_the front room, which_is bare of furniture, discovered the body of a gentleman, well dressed, and having cards in_his pocket bearing the name of `Enoch J .Drebber, Cleveland, Ohio, U .S .a. ' there had_been no robbery, nor is_there any evidence as_to how the man met his death . there_are marks of blood in_the room, but there_is no wound upon his person . we_are at a loss as_to how he_came into_the empty house; indeed, the whole affair is a puzzler . if_you_can come round to_the house any_time before twelve, you_will_find me there . I_have left everything in statu quo until I hear_from_you . if_you_are unable to_come I_shall give_you fuller details, and would esteem it a great kindness if_you_would favour me with your opinion . yours faithfully, "TOBIAS GREGSON ."

"Gregson is_the smartest of_the Scotland Yarders," my friend remarked; " he and Lestrade are the pick of a bad lot . they_are both quick and energetic, but conventional -- shockingly so . they_have their knives into one another, too . they_are as jealous as a pair of professional beauties . there_will_be some fun over this_case if_they_are both put upon_the scent ."

i_was amazed at_the calm way in_which he rippled on ." surely there_is not a moment to_be lost," I cried, " shall I go and order you a cab ? "

"I'm not sure about whether I_shall go . I_am the most incurably lazy devil that ever stood in shoe leather -- that_is, when_the fit is on me, for I_can_be spry enough at times ."

" why, it_is just such a chance as you_have_been longing for ."

" my dear fellow, what does it matter to_me .Supposing I unravel the whole matter, you_may_be_sure that Gregson, Lestrade, and Co . will pocket all the credit . that comes of being an unofficial personage ."

" but he begs you to help him ."

" yes . he_knows that I_am his superior, and acknowledges it to_me; but he_would cut his tongue out before he_would own it to any third person . however, we_may as_well go and_have a look . I_shall work it out on my own hook . I_may_have a laugh at them if I_have nothing else . come on ! "

he hustled on_his overcoat, and bustled about in a way that showed that an energetic fit had superseded the apathetic one .

" get your hat," he_said .

" you wish

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