No. 6 The Man with the Twisted Lip by Arthur Conan Doyle
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.Gone was_the coarse brown tint ! Gone, too, was_the horrid scar which had seamed it across, and_the twisted lip which had given the repulsive sneer to_the face ! atwitch brought away the tangled red hair, and there, sitting up in_his bed, was apale, sad-faced, refined-looking man, black-haired and smooth-skinned, rubbing his eyes and staring about him with sleepy bewilderment .Then suddenly realising the exposure, he broke into ascream and threw himself down with_his face to_the pillow .

Great heavens ! cried the inspector, it_is, indeed, the missing man . I_know him from_the photograph .

The prisoner turned with_the reckless air of aman who abandons himself to_his destiny .Be it so, said he .And pray what am I charged with ?

With making away with Mr Neville St .- Oh, come, you cant be charged with_that unless they make acase of attempted suicide of it, said the inspector with agrin .Well, I_have_been twenty-seven years in_the force, but this really takes the cake .

If I_am Mr Neville St .Clair, then it_is obvious that no crime has_been committed, and_that, therefore, I_am illegally detained .

No crime, but avery great error has_been committed, said Holmes . you_would_have done better to_have trusted you wife .

it_was not the wife; it was_the children, groaned the prisoner .God help me, i_would_not have them ashamed of_their father .My God ! What an exposure ! What can I_do ?

Sherlock Holmes sat down beside him on_the couch and patted him kindly on_the shoulder .

if_you leave it to acourt of law to clear the matter up, said he, of_course you_can hardly avoid publicity . on_the other hand, if_you convince the police authorities that_there_is no possible case against you, I_do_not know that_there_is any reason that_the details should find their way into_the papers .Inspector Bradstreet would, I_am_sure, make notes upon anything which you_might tell us and submit it to_the proper authorities .The case would then never go into court at all .

God bless you ! cried the prisoner passionately . i_would_have endured imprisonment, ay, even execution, rather than have left my miserable secret as afamily blot to my children .

you_are the first who_have ever heard my story .My father was aschool-master in Chesterfield, where I received an excellent education .I travelled in my youth, took to_the stage, and finally became areporter on an evening paper in London .One day my editor wished to_have aseries of articles upon begging in_the metropolis, and I volunteered to supply them . there_was the point from_which all my adventures started . it_was only by trying begging as an amateur that I_could get the facts upon_which to base my articles .When an actor I had, of_course, learned all the secrets of making up, and had_been famous in_the greenroom for_my skill . i_took advantage now of_my attainments .I painted my face, and to_make myself as pitiable as possible I_made agood scar and fixed one side of_my lip in atwist by_the aid of asmall slip of flesh-coloured plaster .Then with ared head of hair, and an appropriate dress, i_took my station in_the business part of_the city, ostensibly as amatch-seller but really as abeggar .For seven hours I plied my trade, and when I returned home in_the evening I_found to my surprise that I had received no less_than 26s .4d .

i_wrote my articles and thought little more of_the matter until, some_time later, I backed abill for afriend and had awrit served upon me for 25 pounds . i_was at my wits end where to_get the money, but asudden idea came to_me .I begged afortnights grace from_the creditor, asked for aholiday from my employers, and spent the time in begging in_the City under my disguise .In ten days I had the money and had paid the debt .

Well, you_can imagine how hard it_was to settle down to arduous work at 2 pounds aweek when I_knew that I_could earn as_much in aday by smearing my face with alittle paint, laying my cap on_the ground, and sitting still . it_was along fight between my pride and_the money, but the dollars won at last, and I threw up reporting and sat day after day in_the corner which I had first chosen, inspiring pity by my ghastly face and filling my pockets with coppers . only_one man knew my secret .He was_the keeper of alow den in_which I used to lodge in Swandam Lane, where I_could every morning emerge as asqualid beggar and in_the evenings transform myself into awell-dressed man about town .This fellow, aLascar, was well paid by me for_his rooms, so_that I_knew that my secret was safe in_his possession .

Well, very_soon I_found that i_was saving considerable sums of money . I_do_not mean that any beggar in_the streets of London could earn 700 pounds ayear- which_is less_than my average takings-but I had exceptional advantages in my power of making up, and also in afacility of repartee, which improved by practice and made me quite arecognised character in_the City .All day astream of pennies, varied by silver, poured in upon me, and it_was avery bad day in_which I failed to_take 2 pounds .

As I grew richer I grew more ambitious, took ahouse in_the country, and eventually married, without anyone having asuspicion as_to my real occupation .My dear wife knew that I had business in_the City .She little knew what .

Last Monday I had finished for_the day and was dressing in my room above the opium den when I looked out of_my window and saw, to my horror and astonishment, that my wife was standing in_the street, with her eyes fixed full upon me . I_gave acry of surprise, threw up my arms to_cover my face, and, rushing to my confidant, the Lascar, entreated him to_prevent anyone from coming up to_me .I heard her voice downstairs, but I_knew that she_could_not ascend .Swiftly I threw off my clothes, pulled on those of abeggar, and put on my pigments and wig .Even awifes eyes could_not pierce so complete adisguise .But then it occurred to_me that there_might_be asearch in_the room, and that_the clothes might betray me .I threw open the window, reopening by my violence asmall cut which I had inflicted upon myself in_the bedroom that morning .Then I seized my coat, which_was weighted by_the coppers which I had just transferred to_it from_the leather bag in_which I carried my takings .I hurled it out_of_the window, and it disappeared into_the Thames .The other clothes would_have followed, but at_that moment there_was arush of constables up the stair, and a few_minutes after I_found, rather, I confess, to my relief, that instead of being identified as Mr Neville St .Clair, i_was arrested as his murderer .

I_do_not know that_there_is anything else for_me to explain . i_was determined to preserve my disguise as long as possible, and hence my preference for adirty face .Knowing that my wife would_be terribly anxious, I slipped off my ring and confided it to_the Lascar at amoment when no constable was watching me, together with ahurried scrawl, telling her that she had no cause to fear .

That note only reached her yesterday, said Holmes .

Good God ! What aweek she must_have spent !

The police have watched this Lascar, said Inspector Bradstreet, and I_can quite understand that he might find it difficult to post aletter unobserved .Probably he handed it to some sailor customer of_his, who forgot all about_it for some days .

That was_it, said Holmes, nodding approvingly; I_have no_doubt of it .But have_you never been prosecuted for begging ?

many_times; but what_was afine to_me ?

It must stop here, however, said Bradstreet . if_the police are to hush this thing up, there_must_be no more of Hugh Boone .

I_have sworn it by_the most solemn oaths which aman can take .

in_that case i_think that_it_is probable that no further steps may_be taken .But if_you_are found again, then all must come out . I_am_sure, Mr Holmes, that we_are very_much indebted to_you for having cleared the matter up . i_wish I_knew how you reach your results .

I reached this_one, said my friend, by sitting upon five pillows and consuming an ounce of shag . i_think, Watson, that if_we drive to Baker Street we_shall just be in_time for breakfast .

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