X. THE ADVENTURE OF THE NOBLE BACHELOR for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

formorefreeEBooks,visit:http://esnips.com/web/ebooks4uI.AScandalinBohemiaII.TheRed-headedLeagueIII.ACaseofIdentityIV.TheBoscombeValleyMysteryV.TheFiveOrangePipsVI.TheManwiththeTwistedLipVII.TheAdventureoftheBlueCarbuncleVIII.TheAdventureoftheSpeckledBandIX.TheAdventureoftheEngineer'sThumbX.TheAdventureoftheNobleBachelor XI.TheAdventureoftheBerylCoronetXII.TheAdventureoftheCopperBeechesADVENTUREI.ASCANDALINBOHEMIAI.ToSherlockHolmessheisalwaysTHEwoman.Ihaveseldomheardhimmentionherunderanyothername.Inhiseyessheeclipsesandpredominatesthewholeofhersex.ItwasnotthathefeltanyemotionakintoloveforIreneAdler.Allemotions,andthatoneparticularly,wereabhorrenttohiscold,precisebutadmirablybalancedmind.Hewas,Itakeit,themostperfectreasoningandobservingmachinethattheworldhasseen,butasaloverhewouldhaveplacedhimselfinafalseposition.Henever spokeofthesofterpassions,savewithagibeandasneer.Theywereadmirablethingsfortheobserver--excellentfordrawingtheveilfrommen'smotivesandactions.Butforthetrainedreasoner toadmitsuchintrusionsintohisowndelicateandfinelyadjustedtemperamentwastointroduceadistractingfactorwhichmightthrowadoubtuponallhismentalresults.Gritinasensitiveinstrument,oracrackinoneofhisownhigh-power lenses,wouldnotbemoredisturbingthanastrongemotioninanaturesuchashis.Andyettherewasbutonewomantohim,andthatwomanwasthelateIreneAdler,ofdubiousandquestionablememory.IhadseenlittleofHolmeslately.Mymarriagehaddriftedusawayfromeachother.Myowncompletehappiness,andthehome-centredinterestswhichriseuparoundthemanwhofirstfindshimselfmasterofhisownestablishment,weresufficienttoabsorballmyattention,whileHolmes,wholoathedeveryformof societywithhiswholeBohemiansoul,remainedinourlodgingsinBakerStreet,buriedamonghisoldbooks,andalternatingfromweektoweekbetweencocaineandambition,thedrowsinessofthedrug,andthefierceenergyofhisownkeennature.Hewasstill,asever,deeplyattractedbythestudyofcrime,andoccupiedhisimmensefacultiesandextraordinarypowersofobservationinfollowingoutthoseclues,andclearingupthosemysterieswhichhadbeenabandonedashopelessbytheofficialpolice.FromtimetotimeIheardsomevagueaccountofhisdoings:ofhissummonstoOdessainthecaseoftheTrepoffmurder,ofhisclearingupofthesingulartragedyoftheAtkinsonbrothersatTrincomalee,andfinallyofthemissionwhichhehadaccomplishedsodelicatelyandsuccessfullyforthereigningfamilyofHolland.Beyondthesesignsofhisactivity,however,whichImerely

sharedwithallthereadersofthedailypress,Iknewlittleof myformerfriendandcompanion.Onenight--itwasonthetwentiethofMarch,1888--Iwasreturningfromajourneytoapatient(forIhadnowreturnedtocivilpractice),whenmywayledmethroughBakerStreet.AsIpassedthewell-remembereddoor,whichmustalwaysbeassociatedinmymindwithmywooing,andwiththedarkincidentsoftheStudyinScarlet,IwasseizedwithakeendesiretoseeHolmesagain,andtoknowhowhewasemployinghisextraordinarypowers.Hisroomswerebrilliantlylit,and,evenasIlookedup,Isawhistall,sparefigurepasstwiceinadarksilhouetteagainsttheblind.Hewaspacingtheroomswiftly,eagerly,withhisheadsunkuponhischestandhishandsclaspedbehindhim.Tome,whoknewhiseverymoodandhabit,hisattitudeandmannertoldtheir ownstory.Hewasatworkagain.Hehadrisenoutofhisdrug-createddreamsandwashotuponthescentofsomenewproblem.Irangthebellandwasshownuptothechamberwhichhadformerlybeeninpartmyown.Hismannerwasnoteffusive.Itseldomwas;buthewasglad,Ithink,toseeme.Withhardlyawordspoken,butwithakindlyeye,hewavedmetoanarmchair,threwacrosshiscaseofcigars,andindicatedaspiritcaseandagasogeneinthecorner.Thenhestoodbeforethefireandlookedmeoverinhissingular introspectivefashion."Wedlocksuitsyou,"heremarked."Ithink,Watson,thatyouhaveputonsevenandahalfpoundssinceIsawyou.""Seven!"Ianswered."Indeed,Ishouldhavethoughtalittlemore.Justatriflemore,Ifancy,Watson.Andinpracticeagain,Iobserve.Youdidnottellmethatyouintendedtogointoharness.""Then,howdoyouknow?""Iseeit,Ideduceit.HowdoIknowthatyouhavebeengettingyourselfverywetlately,andthatyouhaveamostclumsyandcarelessservantgirl?""MydearHolmes,"saidI,"thisistoomuch.Youwouldcertainlyhavebeenburned,hadyoulivedafewcenturiesago.ItistruethatIhadacountrywalkonThursdayandcamehomeinadreadfulmess,butasIhavechangedmyclothesIcan'timaginehowyoudeduceit.AstoMaryJane,sheisincorrigible,andmywifehasgivenhernotice,butthere,again,Ifailtoseehowyouworkitout."Hechuckledtohimselfandrubbedhislong,nervoushandstogether."Itissimplicityitself,"saidhe;"myeyestellmethatontheinsideofyourleftshoe,justwherethefirelightstrikesit,theleatherisscoredbysixalmostparallelcuts.Obviouslytheyhavebeencausedbysomeonewhohasverycarelesslyscrapedroundtheedgesofthesoleinordertoremovecrustedmudfromit.Hence,yousee,mydoubledeductionthatyouhadbeenoutinvileweather,andthatyouhadaparticularlymalignantboot-slittingspecimenoftheLondonslavey.Astoyourpractice,ifagentlemanwalksintomyroomssmellingofiodoform,withablackmarkofnitrateofsilveruponhisrightforefinger,andabulgeontherightsideofhistop-hattoshowwherehehassecretedhisstethoscope,Imustbedull,indeed,ifIdonotpronouncehimtobeanactivememberofthemedicalprofession."

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Icouldnothelplaughingattheeasewithwhichheexplainedhisprocessofdeduction."WhenIhearyougiveyourreasons,"Iremarked,"thethingalwaysappearstometobesoridiculouslysimplethatIcouldeasilydoitmyself,thoughateachsuccessiveinstanceofyourreasoningIambaffleduntilyouexplainyourprocess.AndyetIbelievethatmyeyesareasgoodasyours.""Quiteso,"heanswered,lightingacigarette,andthrowinghimselfdownintoanarmchair."Yousee,butyoudonotobserve.Thedistinctionisclear.Forexample,youhavefrequentlyseenthestepswhichleadupfromthehalltothisroom.""Frequently.""Howoften?""Well,somehundredsoftimes.""Thenhowmanyarethere?""Howmany?Idon'tknow.""Quiteso!Youhavenotobserved.Andyetyouhaveseen.Thatis justmypoint.Now,Iknowthatthereareseventeensteps,becauseIhavebothseenandobserved.By-the-way,sinceyouareinterestedintheselittleproblems,andsinceyouaregoodenoughtochronicleoneortwoofmytriflingexperiences,youmaybeinterestedinthis."Hethrewoverasheetofthick,pink-tintednote-paperwhichhadbeenlyingopenuponthetable."Itcamebythelastpost,"saidhe."Readitaloud."Thenotewasundated,andwithouteithersignatureoraddress."Therewillcalluponyouto-night,ataquartertoeighto'clock,"itsaid,"agentlemanwhodesirestoconsultyouuponamatteroftheverydeepestmoment.Yourrecentservicestooneof theroyalhousesofEuropehaveshownthatyouareonewhomaysafelybetrustedwithmatterswhichareofanimportancewhichcanhardlybeexaggerated.Thisaccountofyouwehavefromallquartersreceived.Beinyourchamberthenatthathour,anddonottakeitamissifyourvisitorwearamask.""Thisisindeedamystery,"Iremarked."Whatdoyouimaginethatitmeans?""Ihavenodatayet.Itisacapitalmistaketotheorizebeforeonehasdata.Insensiblyonebeginstotwistfactstosuittheories,insteadoftheoriestosuitfacts.Butthenoteitself.Whatdoyoudeducefromit?"Icarefullyexaminedthewriting,andthepaperuponwhichitwaswritten."Themanwhowroteitwaspresumablywelltodo,"Iremarked,endeavouringtoimitatemycompanion'sprocesses."Suchpaper couldnotbeboughtunderhalfacrownapacket.Itispeculiarlystrongandstiff.""Peculiar--thatistheveryword,"saidHolmes."ItisnotanEnglishpaperatall.Holdituptothelight."Ididso,andsawalarge"E"withasmall"g,"a"P,"andalarge"G"withasmall"t"wovenintothetextureofthepaper."Whatdoyoumakeofthat?"askedHolmes.

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X. THE ADVENTURE OF THE NOBLE BACHELOR for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

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