A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
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in_the morning stretched upon_the floor of_the cell, with a placid smile upon his face, as_though he had_been able in_his dying moments to look back upon a useful life, and on work well done .

"Gregson and Lestrade will_be wild about his death," Holmes remarked, as_we chatted it over next evening ." where will their grand advertisement be now ? "

"I don't see that_they had very_much to_do with_his capture," I answered .

" what you_do in_this world is a matter of no consequence," returned my companion, bitterly ." the question is, what can_you make people believe that you have_done . never mind," he continued, more brightly, after a pause ." i_would_not have missed the investigation for anything . there_has_been no better case within my recollection . simple as it_was, there were several most instructive points about_it ."

" simple ! " I ejaculated .

" well, really, it can hardly be described as otherwise," said Sherlock Holmes, smiling at my surprise ." the proof of_its intrinsic simplicity is, that without any help save a few very ordinary deductions i_was able to lay my hand upon_the criminal within three days ."

" that_is true," said I .

" I_have already explained to_you that what_is out_of_the common is usually a guide rather than a hindrance . in solving a problem of_this sort, the grand thing is to_be_able to reason backwards . that_is a very useful accomplishment, and a very easy one, but people do_not practise it much . in_the every- day affairs of life it_is more useful to reason forwards, and so the other comes to_be neglected . there_are fifty who_can reason synthetically for_one who_can reason analytically ."

"I confess," said I, " that I_do_not quite follow you ."

"I hardly expected that you_would . let me see if I_can make it clearer . most people, if_you describe a train of events to_them, will tell you what the result would_be . they_can put those events together in their minds, and argue from_them that something will come to_pass . there_are few people, however, who, if_you told them a result, would_be_able to evolve from their own inner consciousness what the steps were which led up to_that result . this power is what I mean when I talk of reasoning backwards, or analytically ."

"I understand," said I .

" now this_was a case in_which_you were given the result and had to_find everything else for_yourself . now let me endeavour to show you the different steps in my reasoning . to_begin at_the beginning .I approached the house, as_you_know, on foot, and with my mind entirely free from all impressions .I naturally began by examining the roadway, and there, as I_have already explained to_you, I_saw clearly the marks of a cab, which, I ascertained by inquiry, must_have been there during the night .I satisfied myself that_it_was a cab and not a private carriage by_the narrow gauge of_the wheels . the ordinary London growler is considerably less wide than a gentleman's brougham .

" this_was the first point gained .I then walked slowly down the garden path, which happened to_be composed of a clay soil, peculiarly suitable for taking impressions . no_doubt it appeared to_you to_be amere trampled line of slush, but to my trained eyes every mark upon its surface had ameaning . there_is no branch of detective science which_is so important and so_much neglected as_the art of tracing footsteps . happily, I_have always laid great stress upon it, and much practice has_made it second nature to_me . I_saw the heavy footmarks of_the constables, but I_saw also the track of_the two men who had first passed through_the garden . it_was easy to_tell that_they had_been before_the others, because in places their marks had_been entirely obliterated by_the others coming upon_the top of_them . in_this_way my second link was formed, which told me that_the nocturnal visitors were two in number, one remarkable for_his height ( as I calculated from_the length of_his stride), and_the other fashionably dressed, to judge from_the small and elegant impression left by his boots .

" on entering the house this last inference was confirmed . my well- booted man lay before me . the tall one, then, had done the murder, if murder there_was . there_was no wound upon_the dead man's person, but the agitated expression upon his face assured me that he had foreseen his fate before it came upon him . men who die from heart disease, or any sudden natural cause, never by any chance exhibit agitation upon their features .Having sniffed the dead man's lips I detected a slightly sour smell, and I_came to_the conclusion that he had had poison forced upon him . again, I argued that_it had_been forced upon him from_the hatred and fear expressed upon his face . by_the method of exclusion, I had arrived at_this result, for no other hypothesis would meet the facts . do_not imagine that_it_was a very unheard of idea . the forcible administration of poison is by no means a new thing in criminal annals . the cases of Dolsky in Odessa, and of Leturier in Montpellier, will occur at once to any toxicologist .

" and now came the great question as_to_the reason why . robbery had_not_been the object of_the murder, for nothing was taken . was_it politics, then, or was_it a woman ? that was_the question which confronted me . i_was inclined from_the first to_the latter supposition . political assassins are only too glad to_do their work and to fly . this murder had, on_the contrary, been done most deliberately, and_the perpetrator had left his tracks all over the room, showing that he had_been there all the time . it must_have been a private wrong, and not a political one, which called for such a methodical revenge . when_the inscription was discovered upon_the wall i_was more inclined than ever to my opinion . the thing was too evidently a blind . when_the ring was found, however, it settled the question . clearly the murderer had used it to remind his victim of some dead or absent woman . it_was at_this point that I asked Gregson whether he had enquired in_his telegram to Cleveland as_to any particular point in Mr Drebber's former career . he answered, you remember, in_the negative .

"I then proceeded to_make a careful examination of_the room, which confirmed me in my opinion as_to_the murderer's height, and furnished me with_the additional details as_to_the Trichinopoly cigar and_the length of_his nails .I had already come to_the conclusion, since there were no signs of a struggle, that_the blood which covered the floor had burst from_the murderer's nose in_his excitement . I_could perceive that_the track of blood coincided with_the track of_his feet . it_is seldom that any man, unless he_is very full- blooded, breaks out in_this_way through emotion, so I hazarded the opinion that_the criminal was probably a robust and ruddy- faced man .Events proved that I had judged correctly .

"Having left the house, I proceeded to_do what Gregson had neglected .I telegraphed to_the head of_the police at Cleveland, limiting my enquiry to_the circumstances connected with_the marriage of Enoch Drebber . the answer was conclusive . it told me that Drebber had already applied for_the protection of_the law against an old rival in love, named Jefferson hope, and that_this same hope was at present in Europe . I_knew now that I held the clue to_the mystery in my hand, and all that remained was to secure the murderer .

"I had already determined in my own mind that_the man who had walked into_the house with Drebber, was none other_than the man who had driven the cab . the marks in_the road showed me that_the horse had wandered on in a way which would_have_been impossible had there been anyone in charge of it . where, then, could the driver be, unless he were inside the house ? again, it_is absurd to suppose that any sane man would carry out a deliberate crime under the very eyes, as it were, of a third person, who was sure to betray him . lastly, supposing one man wished to dog another through London, what better means could he adopt than to_turn cabdriver . all these considerations led me to_the irresistible conclusion that Jefferson hope was to_be found among_the jarveys of_the metropolis .

" if he had_been one there_was no reason to_believe that he had ceased to_be . on_the contrary, from_his point of view, any sudden chance would_be likely to draw attention to himself . he_would, probably, for a time at_least, continue to perform his duties . there_was no reason to suppose that he_was going under an assumed name . why should he change his name in a country where no one knew his original one ? I therefore organized my street Arab detective corps, and sent them systematically to every cab proprietor in London until they ferreted out the man that i_wanted . how well they succeeded, and how quickly i_took advantage of it, are still fresh in your recollection . the murder of Stangerson was an incident which_was entirely unexpected, but which could hardly in any case have_been prevented . through it, as_you_know, I_came into possession of_the pills, the existence of_which I had already surmised . you_see the whole thing is a chain of logical sequences without a break or flaw ."

" it_is wonderful ! " I cried ." your merits should_be publicly recognized . you_should publish an account of_the case . if_you won't, i_will for_you ."

" you_may do what you like, doctor," he answered ." see here ! " he continued, handing a paper over to_me, " look at_this ! "

it was_the echo for_the day, and_the paragraph to_which he pointed was devoted to_the case in_question .

" the public," it said, " have lost a sensational treat through_the sudden death of_the man hope, who was suspected of_the murder of Mr Enoch Drebber and of Mr Joseph Stangerson . the details of_the case will probably be never known now, though we_are informed upon good authority that_the crime was_the result of an old standing and romantic feud, in_which love and Mormonism bore a part . it seems that both the victims belonged, in their younger days, to_the latter day Saints, and_hope, the deceased prisoner, hails also from Salt_Lake_City . if_the case has had no other effect, it, at_least, brings out in_the most striking manner the efficiency of_our detective police force, and will serve as a lesson to all foreigners that they_will do wisely to settle their feuds at home, and not to carry them on to British soil . it_is an open secret that_the credit of_this smart capture belongs entirely to_the well- known Scotland yard officials, Messrs .Lestrade and Gregson . the man was apprehended, it appears, in_the rooms of a certain Mr Sherlock Holmes, who has himself, as an amateur, shown some talent in_the detective line, and who, with_such instructors, may hope in_time to attain to some degree of_their skill . it_is expected that a testimonial of some sort will_be presented to_the two officers as afitting recognition of_their services ."

"Didn't I tell you so when we started ? " cried Sherlock Holmes with a laugh ." that's the result of all our study in scarlet: to_get them a testimonial ! "

" never mind," I answered, " I_have all the facts in my journal, and_the public shall know them . in_the meantime you_must make yourself contented by_the consciousness of success, like the Roman miser --

"`Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo Ipse domi simul AC nummos contemplar in arca .'"

------------- * Heber C .Kemball, in one of_his sermons, alludes to_his hundred wives under this endearing epithet .

Notes:

{1} { frontispiece, with_the caption: " he examined with_his glass the word upon_the wall, going over every letter of it with_the most minute exactness ." (_Page 23 .)} {2} {"JOHN H .WATSON, M .D .": the initial letters in_the name are capitalized, the other letters in small caps . all chapter titles are in small caps . the initial words of chapters are in small caps with first letter capitalized .} {3} {" lodgings .": the period should_be a comma, as in later editions .} {4} {"hoemoglobin": should_be haemoglobin . the o&e are concatenated .} {5} {"221B": the B is in small caps} {6} {" the LAURISTON garden mystery": the table- of-contents lists this chapter as " .. .GARDENS mystery" -- plural, and probably more correct .} {7} {" brought ."": the text has an extra double- quote mark} {8} {" individual --": illustration this page, with_the caption: " as he spoke, his nimble fingers were flying here, there, and everywhere ."} {9} {"manoeuvres": the o&e are concatenated .} {10} {" patent leathers": the hyphen is missing .} {11} {"condonment": should_be condonement .} {12} {"Boheme": the first "e" has a backward accent (\) above it .} {13} {" wages .": ending quote is missing .} {14} {" the first .": ending quote is missing .} {15} {" make much of .. .": other editions complete this sentence with an " it ." but there_is a gap in_the text at_this point, and, given the context, it may_have actually been an interjection, a dash . the gap is just the right size for_the characters " it ." and_the start of a new sentence, or for a"----"} {16} {"tho cushion": "tho" should_be " the"} {17} {"_outre_": the e has a forward accent (/) above it .} {18} {"canons": the first n has a tilde above it, as do all other occurrences of_this word .} {19} {"shoving": later editions have "showing" . the original is clearly superior .} {20} {" stared about .. .": illustration, with_the caption: " one_of_them seized the little girl, and hoisted her upon his shoulder ."} {21} {" upon_the": illustration, with_the caption: " as he watched it he_saw it writhe along the ground ."} {22} {" formerly .. .": F,S,L,C in caps, other letters in_this line in small caps .} {23} {"ancles": ankles .} {24} {" asked,": should_be " asked ."} {25} {"poisions": should_be "poisons"} {26} {" .. . fancy": should_be "I fancy" . there_is a gap in_the text .} {27} {"snackled": " shackled" in later texts .} {28} {"_blase_": the e has a forward accent (/) above it .}

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