No 1 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

I

To Sherlock Holmes always THE woman seldom heard him mention her under name eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex not that any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler All emotions, one particularly, were abhorrent cold, precise but admirably balanced mind , I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine world has seen, but as lover placed himself in false position He never spoke softer passions, save with gibe and sneer They were admirable things observer--excellent for drawing the veil from men's motives and actions But trained teasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce distracting factor which might throw doubt upon all his mental results Grit in sensitive instrument, or crack in one own high-power lenses, more disturbing than strong emotion in nature such as his And yet but one woman to him, woman late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory

I had seen little of Holmes lately My marriage had drifted us away from My own complete happiness, home-centred interests which rise up around the man who first finds himself master own establishment, were sufficient to absorb all my attention, while Holmes, who loathed every form of society whole Bohemian soul, remained lodgings in Baker Street, buried among his old books, and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness drug, fierce energy own keen nature still, as ever, deeply attracted study of crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in following out those clews, and clearing up those mysteries which abandoned as hopeless official police I heard some vague account doings: summons to Odessa case Trepoff murder, clearing up singular tragedy Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee, and finally mission which he had accomplished so delicately and successfully reigning family of Holland Beyond these signs activity, however, which I merely shared with all the readers daily press, little former friend and companion

One night-- twentieth of March, 1888-- returning from journey to patient (for I had now returned to civil practice), when my way led me through Baker Street As I passed the well-remembered door, always be associated in my mind with my wooing, and dark incidents Study in Scarlet, seized with keen desire Holmes again, and how employing his extraordinary powers His rooms were brilliantly lit, and, even as I looked up, his tall, spare figure pass twice in dark silhouette against the blind pacing the room swiftly, eagerly, head sunk upon his chest hands clasped behind him , who knew his every mood and habit, his attitude and manner told their own story at work again He had risen out drug-created dreams and was hot scent of some new problem I rang the bell and was shown chamber which had formerly been my own

His manner was not effusive It seldom was; but glad, , me With hardly word spoken, but with kindly eye, he waved me to an armchair, threw across his case of cigars, and indicated spirit case and gasogene corner Then he stood fire and looked me over singular introspective fashion

"Wedlock suits you," he remarked " , Watson, that put on seven and half pounds since you "

"Seven ! " I answered

"Indeed, thought little more Just trifle more, I fancy, Watson And in practice again, I observe tell me that you intended into harness "

"Then, how ? "

" it, I deduce it How do that getting yourself very wet lately, most clumsy and careless servant girl ? "

"My dear Holmes," said I, " certainly burned, had you lived few true that I had country walk on Thursday and came home in dreadful mess, but as changed my clothes 't imagine how you deduce it Mary Jane, incorrigible, and my wife her notice, but there, again, I fail how you work it out "

He chuckled to himself and rubbed his long, nervous hands together

" simplicity itself," said he; "my eyes tell me that inside of your left shoe, just where the firelight strikes it, the leather is scored by six almost parallel cuts Obviously they caused by someone who has very carelessly scraped round the edges sole to remove crusted mud Hence, , my double deduction that you out in vile weather, you had particularly malignant boot-slitting specimen London slavey your practice, if gentleman walks into my rooms smelling of iodoform, with black mark of nitrate of silver upon his right forefinger, and bulge right side top-hat to show where he has secreted his stethoscope, dull, indeed, if pronounce him an active member medical profession "

help laughing ease he explained his process of deduction "When I hear you give your reasons," I remarked, "the thing always appears so ridiculously simple that easily myself, though at each successive instance of your reasoning baffled until you explain your process And yet I believe that my eyes are as good as yours "

"Quite so," he answered, lighting cigarette, and throwing himself down into an armchair " , but observe The distinction is clear For example, frequently seen the steps which lead up hall room "

"Frequently "

"How often ? "

"Well, some hundreds of times "

"Then are there ? "

" ? I don't know "

"Quite so ! observed And yet seen just my point Now, seventeen steps, because both seen and observed By-the-way, since interested little problems, and since good enough to chronicle trifling experiences, interested " He threw over sheet of thick, pink-tinted note-paper which lying open table "It came last post," said he "Read it aloud "

The note was undated, and without either signature or address

" call upon you to-night, at quarter to eight o'clock," it said, "a gentleman who desires to consult you upon matter very deepest moment Your recent services to royal houses of Europe have shown that one safely be trusted with matters which are of an importance which can hardly be exaggerated This account of you from all quarters received Be in your chamber then hour, and take it amiss if your visitor wear mask

" indeed mystery," I remarked "What imagine means ? "

" no data yet capital mistake to theorize before one has data Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts But the note itself What deduce ? "

I carefully examined the writing, paper written

"The man who wrote presumably well ," I remarked, endeavoring to imitate my companion's processes "Such paper bought under half crown packet peculiarly strong and stiff "

"Peculiar-- very word," said Holmes " an English paper at all Hold it light "

so, and saw large "E" with small "g," "P," and large "G" with small "t" woven texture paper