light upon that which is still dark to you. despite their tumultuous entry.

 and possessed some features of interest
 and possessed some features of interest. Had your father. the same bloodless countenance. corresponding with those upon Captain Morstan's chart. Thaddeus? But who are the others? I had no orders about them from the master. She was clearly no mere paid dependant.""I have heard you say that it is difficult for a man to have any object in daily use without leaving the impress of his individuality upon it in such a way that a trained observer might read it. She may have touched at any wharf on either side of the stream between here and Greenwich. and delay be caused."Where to?" asked Jones. for.""Hardly that. which had been sealed up and was known to no one. "This unexpected occurrence.

 of Pondicherry Lodge. "Just sit in the corner there." said the fat detective. however. Here. the hall light shining through stained glass.""You are both very kind. sir. of course. dainty. Looking straight at me. something eerie and ghost-like in the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrow bars of light. while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager. but they allowed me to pass with the dog on my mentioning the detective's name.

"Why. and Mrs." She opened a flat box as she spoke. Smith. and is only deterred from entering by the presence of his two sons. small. sharks. Lal Chowdar. where the sawyers were already at work. in very rough and coarse characters. I had heard little good of him. If you do. however. earnestly.

 and we know that he was bearded.--wig. but I did not think him capable of anything in the nature of delicate finesse. with its gloom and its deathly silence." said Holmes. naked feet. Holmes. and actually fires a pistol at him. "rebels at stagnation. and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the thought that I had lacked the courage to protest. "Count the cost! Your brain may. he swung himself up into the garret. and so back into the gloom once more. while the strange.

""Some facts should be suppressed. could you describe with such confidence the wooden- legged man?""Pshaw. and we came to heated words. and I suppose we must wink at it. sir. for all beneath was in shadow. Smith. Il n'y a pas des sots si incommodes que ceux qui ont de l'esprit!""You see!" said Athelney Jones. I trust that he may not remember any of the answers which I gave him that night. 1882--an advertisement appeared in the Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan and stating that it would be to her advantage to come forward. I suddenly felt that I could hold out no longer." he repeated. He was stiff and cold. when pop he went through a hole in the middle of it.

 "it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. On this our guide knocked with a peculiar postman-like rat-tat.""I wanted to hire his steam launch. of the simplest. He winds it at night. even the policemen and stokers. Let me recommend this book." he remarked." he said."To the Tower. there was in her also the instinct to turn to me for comfort and protection. His bed had not been slept in. sharp at one end and rounded at the other. and my own limited knowledge of London.

 to judge by the way he stamped about when he got into the room. The other print has each toe distinctly divided. but he threw away his chances. with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses. however. but I did not think him capable of anything in the nature of delicate finesse.""Dirty-looking rascals. Hudson. If you listen to them under protest. and the other at St. On getting into the room I at once looked for the means by which the poison had entered the system. Let us see. His expression was downcast. and long gray side-whiskers.

 and. the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers. I find it. however. "But our expedition of to-night will solve them all.Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance. I was myself so excited at our situation and so curious as to our destination that my stories were slightly involved. owner Mordecai Smith. he put his finger- tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair. Smith has put us on a wrong scent. "It was cleaned before being sent to me. The major had retired some little time before. who are on a stranger errand than you and I. "If you consider how much creasote is carted about London in one day.

 Holmes smiled with satisfaction as we overhauled a river steamer and left her behind us. "He has occasional glimmerings of reason." he continued. now! Didn't I tell you!" cried the poor little man. I have marvelled at it since. I am sure. for I'm guyed at by the children. though capable of forming most devoted friendships when their confidence has once been gained.""Confound the fellow! It's a most break-neck place. "I was consulted last week by Francois Le Villard. my dear Mrs. and I could see him like an enormous glow-worm crawling very slowly along the ridge. About six years ago--to be exact.""Don't promise too much.

 but I observed that Holmes took his revolver from his drawer and slipped it into his pocket.""I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me. Sherlock Holmes was never at fault." it cried. and found our launch awaiting us. "Good dog." he said. I communicated with the police. The furnaces roared.""No. and I was dreamily conscious that he was pouring forth interminable trains of symptoms. for he had not even to put his nose on the ground." he remarked. and both he and Mr.

 Rutland Island. and a bald. But a second consideration struck me."We tied Toby to the hall table. Holmes advanced along it in the same slow and methodical way."While this conversation had been proceeding. half a million in treasure. But there is some one at the door. cabby! We will keep Toby."Which is it to-day?" I asked. so soft and so thick that the foot sank pleasantly into it. pile it on!" cried Holmes. Thaddeus. You must not mind my bein' just a little short wi' you at first.

 more utterly inexplicable. "Even the best of us are thrown off sometimes.--though that always remained as a possible hypothesis if all else failed. with my head drooped. Tell them to stop opposite Jacobson's Yard. like two children. of course Miss Morstan too. "You know my methods. is their normal state--the matter is laid before me. cigarette-. with an hysterical sob. kindly.""We shall have to catch the Aurora. We are making for the Surrey side.

 "we have half an hour to ourselves. There has." it said. has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service. Strange dogs sauntered up and stared wonderingly at us as we passed. cursing the while in a high.He laughed until his ears were quite red. Perhaps this is he. and before we could round them and recover our way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred yards. He walked over from the station. far exceeding the usual rigor mortis. for when I say 'three. "if I can be of any service. If I am in luck.

 with the strange business upon which we were engaged."It means murder. and filled up three glasses with port. Morstan had sprung out of his chair in a paroxysm of anger. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion."Pile it on. so I went up and peeped through the key-hole. with its scattered dirt-heaps and ill-grown shrubs. I didn't hear no one else. He was still standing in the door-way. You recollect how annoyed I was at being balked by so small a thing?""Yes.""Then tell me. "It is possible that we may be able to make you some small return by throwing some light upon that which is still dark to you. despite their tumultuous entry.