No. 3 The Adventure of the Yellow Face by Arthur Conan Doyle
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the yellow face

by Arthur Conan Doyle

[ in publishing these short sketches based upon_the numerous cases in_which my companion's singular gifts have_made us the listeners to, and eventually the actors in, some strange drama, it_is only natural that i_should dwell rather upon his successes than upon his failures . and this not so_much for_the sake of_his reputations-- for, indeed, it_was when he_was at his wits' end that his energy and_his versatility were most admirable-- but because where he failed it happened too often that no one else succeeded, and_that the tale was left forever without a conclusion . now and again, however, it chanced that even when he erred, the truth was still discovered . I_have noted of some half- dozen cases of_the kind the adventure of_the Musgrave ritual and_that which I_am about to recount are the two which present the strongest features of interest .]

Sherlock Holmes was a man who seldom took exercise for exercise's sake . few men were capable of greater muscular effort, and he_was undoubtedly one_of_the finest boxers of_his weight that I_have ever seen; but he looked upon aimless bodily exertion as a waste of energy, and he seldom bestirred himself save when there_was some professional object to_be served . then he_was absolutely untiring and indefatigable . that he_should_have kept himself in training under such circumstances is remarkable, but his diet was usually of_the sparest, and_his habits were simple to_the verge of austerity . save for_the occasional use of cocaine, he had no vices, and he only turned to_the drug as a protest against the monotony of existence when cases were scanty and_the papers uninteresting .

one day in early spring he had so fare relaxed as to_go for a walk with me in_the park, where the first faint shoots of green were breaking out upon_the elms, and_the sticky spear-heads of_the chestnuts were just beginning to burst into their five- fold leaves . for two hours we rambled about together, in silence for_the most part, as befits two men who_know each_other intimately . it_was nearly five before we were back in baker street once more .

" beg pardon, sir," said our page- boy, as he opened the door ." there's been a gentleman here asking for_you, sir ."

Holmes glanced reproachfully at me ." so_much for afternoon walks ! " said he ." has_this gentleman gone, then ? "

" yes, sir ."

"Didn't you ask him in ? "

" yes, sir; he_came in ."

" how long did he wait ? "

" half an hour, sir . he_was a very restless gentleman, sir, a-walkin' and a-stampin' all the time he_was here . i_was waitin' outside the door, sir, and I_could hear him . at last he out into_the passage, and he cries, ' is_that man never goin' to_come ? ' those were his very words, sir .' you'll only need to wait a little longer,' says I .' then I'll wait in_the open air, for I_feel half choked,' says he .'I'll be back before long .' and with_that he ups and he outs, and all I could_say wouldn't hold him back ."

" well, well, you_did you best," said Holmes, as_we walked into our room ." it's very annoying, though, Watson . i_was badly in need of a case, and this looks, from_the man's impatience, as_if it were of importance .Hullo ! that's not your pipe on_the table . he_must_have left his behind him .a nice old brier with a good long stem of what the tobacconists call amber .I wonder how_many real amber mouthpieces there_are in London ? some people think that a fly in_it is a sign . well, he_must_have been disturbed in_his mind to leave a pipe behind him which he evidently values highly ."

" how do_you_know that he values it highly ? " I asked .

" well, i_should put the original cost of_the pipe at seven and sixpence . now it has, you_see, been twice mended, once in_the wooden stem and once in_the amber . each of_these mends, done, as_you observe, with silver bands, must_have cost more than_the pipe did originally . the man must value the pipe highly when he prefers to patch it up rather than buy a new one with_the same money ."

" anything else ? " I asked, for Holmes was turning the pipe about in_his hand, and staring at it in_his peculiar pensive way .

he held it up and tapped on_it with_his long, thin fore- finger, as a professor might who was lecturing on a bone .

"Pipes are occasionally of extraordinary interest," said he ." nothing has more individuality, save perhaps watches and bootlaces . the indications here, however, are neither very marked nor very_important . the owner is obviously a muscular man, left- handed, with an excellent set of teeth, careless in_his habits, and with no need to practise economy ."

my friend threw out the information in a very offhand way, but I_saw that he cocked his eye at me to_see if I had followed his reasoning .

" you_think a man must_be well- to- do if he smokes aseven-shilling pipe," said I .

" this_is Grosvenor mixture at eightpence an ounce," Holmes answered, knocking a little out on_his palm ." as he might get an excellent smoke for half the price, he has no need to practise economy ."

" and_the other points ? "

" he has_been in_the habit of lighting his pipe at lamps and gas-jets . you_can see that_it_is quite charred all down one side . of_course a match could_not have_done that . why should a man hold a match to_the side of_his pipe ? but you_cannot light it at a lamp without getting the bowl charred . and it_is all on_the right side of_the pipe . from_that I gather that he_is a left- handed man . you hold your own pipe to_the lamp, and_see how naturally you, being right- handed, hold the left side to_the flame . you_might do_it once the other way, but not as a constancy . this has always been held so . then he has bitten through his amber . it takes a muscular, energetic fellow, and one with a good set of teeth, to do_that . but if I_am not mistaken I hear him upon_the stair, so we_shall_have something more interesting than his pipe to study ."

an instant later our door opened, and a tall young man entered the room . he_was well but quietly dressed in a dark-grey suit, and carried a brown wide- awake in_his hand . i_should_have put him at about thirty, though he_was really some_years older .

"I beg your pardon," said he, with some embarrassment; "I suppose i_should_have knocked . yes, of_course i_should_have knocked . the fact is_that I_am a little upset, and you_must put it all down to_that ." he passed his hand over his forehead like a man who_is half dazed, and then fell rather than sat down upon a chair .

" I_can_see that you_have_not slept for a night or two," said Holmes, in_his easy, genial way ." that tries a man's nerves more than work, and more even than pleasure . may I ask how I_can help_you ? "

" i_wanted your advice, sir .I don't know what to_do and my whole life seems to have_gone to pieces ."

" you wish to employ me as aconsulting detective ? "

" not that only . i_want your opinion as a judicious man-- as a man of_the world . i_want to_know what I ought to_do next . I_hope to god you'll be_able to_tell me ."

he spoke in little, sharp, jerky outbursts, and it seemed to_me that to_speak at all was very painful to him, and_that his will all through was overriding his inclinations .

" it's a very delicate thing," said he ." one does_not like to_speak of one's domestic affairs to strangers . it seems dreadful to discuss the conduct of one's wife with two men whom I_have never seen before . it's horrible to_have to_do_it . but I've got to_the end of_my tether, and I_must_have advice ."

" my dear_Mr grant Munro--" began Holmes .

our visitor sprang from_his char ." what ! " he cried, " you_know my mane ? "

" if_you_wish to preserve your incognito,' said Holmes, smiling, " i_would suggest_that you cease to write your_name upon_the lining of your hat, or else that you turn the crown towards the person whom you_are addressing . i_was about to_say that my friend and I_have listened to a good_many strange secrets in_this room, and_that we_have_had the good fortune to bring peace to many troubled souls .I trust that we_may do as_much for_you . might I beg you, as time may prove to_be of importance, to_furnish me with_the facts of your case without further delay ? "

our visitor again passed his hand over his forehead, as_if he_found it bitterly hard . from every gesture and expression I could_see that he_was a reserved, self- contained man, with a dash of pride in_his nature, more likely to hide his wounds than to expose them . then suddenly, with a fierce gesture of_his closed hand, like one who throws reserve to_the winds, he began .

" the facts are these, Mr Holmes," said he ." I_am a married man, and have_been so for three years . during that_time my wife and I_have loved each_other as fondly and lived as happily as any two that ever were joined . we_have_not had a difference, not one, in thought or word or deed . and now, since last Monday, there has suddenly sprung up a barrier between_us, and I_find that_there_is something in her life and in her thought of_which I_know as little as_if she were the woman who brushes by me in_the street . we_are estranged, and i_want to_know why .

" now there_is one_thing that i_want to impress upon you before I go any further, Mr Holmes .Effie loves me .Don't let there be any mistake about_that . she loves me with her whole heart and soul, and never more than now . I_know it . I_feel it .I don't want to argue about_that .a man can tell easily enough when a woman loves him . but there's this secret between_us, and we_can never be the same until it_is cleared ."

" kindly let me have the facts, Mr Munro," said Holmes, with some impatience .

"I'll tell you what I_know about Effie's history . she was a widow when I met her first, though quite young-- only twenty-five . her name then was Mrs Hebron . she went out to America when she was young, and lived in_the town of Atlanta, where she married this Hebron, who was a lawyer with a good practice . they had one child, but the yellow fever broke out badly in_the place, and both husband and child died of it . I_have_seen his death certificate . this sickened her of America, and she came back to live with a maiden aunt at Pinner, in Middlesex . I_may mention that her husband had left her comfortably off, and_that she had a capital of about four thousand five hundred pounds, which had_been so_well invested by him that_it returned an average of seven per cent . she had only been six months at Pinner when I met her; we fell in love with each_other, and we married a few weeks afterwards .

" I_am ahop merchant myself, and as I_have an income of seven or eight hundred, we_found ourselves comfortably off, and took a nice eighty- pound-a- year villa at Norbury . our little place was very countrified, considering that_it_is so close to town . we had an inn and two houses a little above us, and a single cottage at_the other side of_the field which faces us, and except those there were no houses until you got half way to_the station . my business took me into town at certain seasons, but in summer I had less to_do, and then in_our country home my wife and I were just as happy as could_be wished .I tell you that there never was a shadow between_us until this accursed affair began .

" there's one_thing I ought to_tell you before I go further . when we married, my wife made over all her property to_me-- rather against my will, for I_saw how awkward it would_be if_my business affairs went wrong . however, she would_have it so, and it was_done . well, about six weeks_ago she came to_me .

"' jack,' said she, ' when_you took my money you said that if ever i_wanted any i_was to ask_you for_it .'

"' certainly,' said I .' it's all your own .'

"' well,' said she, ' i_want a hundred pounds .'

" i_was a bit staggered at_this, for I had imagined it_was simply a new dress or something of_the kind that she was after .

"' what on earth for ? ' I asked .

"'Oh,' said she, in her playful way, ' you said that you were only my banker, and bankers never ask questions, you_know .'

"' if_you really mean it, of_course you_shall_have the money,' said I .

"'Oh, yes, I really mean it .'

"' and you won't tell me what you_want it for ? '

"' some day, perhaps, but not just at present, jack .'

" so I had to_be content with_that, thought it was_the first time that there had ever been any secret between_us . I_gave her a check, and I never thought any more of_the matter . it may_have nothing to_do with what came afterwards, but i_thought it only right to mention it .

" well, i_told you just now that_there_is a cottage not far from_our house . there_is just a field between_us, but to reach it you_have to_go along the road and then turn down alane . just beyond it_is a nice little grove of Scotch firs, and I used to_be very fond of strolling down there, for trees are always aneighbourly kind of things . the cottage had_been standing empty this eight months, and it_was a pity, for it_was a pretty two storied place, with an old- fashioned porch and honeysuckle about_it . I_have stood many a time and thought what a neat little homestead it would make .

" well, last Monday evening i_was taking a stroll down that way, when I met an empty van coming

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