CHAPTERI.MR.SHERLOCKHOLMES.
Intheyear1878ItookmydegreeofDoctorofMedicineoftheUniversityofLondon,andproceededtoNetleytogothroughthecourseprescribedforsurgeonsinthearmy.
Having
voltooid
completedmystudiesthere,IwasdulyattachedtotheFifthNorthumberlandFusiliersasAssistantSurgeon.TheregimentwasstationedinIndiaatthetime,andbeforeIcouldjoinit,thesecondAfghanwarhadbrokenout.
On
land
landingatBombay,Ilearnedthatmycorpshadadvancedthroughthepasses,andwasalreadydiep
deepintheenemy’scountry.Ifollowed,
echter
however,withmanyotherofficerswhowereinthesamesituatie
situationasmyself,andsucceededinbereiken
reachingCandaharinsafety,whereIfoundmyregiment,andatonceentereduponmynewduties.Thecampaignbroughthonoursandpromotiontomany,butformeithadnothingbutmisfortuneanddisaster.
IwasremovedfrommybrigadeandattachedtotheBerkshires,withwhomIservedatthefatalbattleofMaiwand.
ThereIwasstruckontheshoulderbyaJezailbullet,whichshatteredtheboneandgrazedthesubclavianartery.
IshouldhavefallenintothehandsofthemurderousGhazishaditnotbeenforthedevotionandcourageshownbyMurray,myorderly,who
gegooid
threwmeacrossapack-horse,andsucceededinbringingmesafelytotheBritishlines.Wornwith
pijn
pain,andweakfromtheprolongedhardshipswhichIhadundergone,Iwasremoved,withagreattrein
trainofwoundedsufferers,tothebasehospitalatPeshawar.HereIrallied,andhadalreadyimprovedsofarastobeabletowalkaboutthewards,andeventobaskalittleupontheverandah,whenIwasstruckdownbyentericfever,thatcurseofourIndianpossessions.
Formonthsmylifewasdespairedof,andwhenatlastIcametomyselfandbecameconvalescent,IwassoweakandemaciatedthatamedicalboarddeterminedthatnotadayshouldbelostinsendingmebacktoEngland.
Iwasdispatched,accordingly,inthetroopship“Orontes,”and
landde
landedamonthlateronPortsmouthjetty,withmyhealthirretrievablyruined,butwithpermissionfromapaternalregering
governmenttospendthenextnegen
ninemonthsinattemptingtoimproveit.Ihad
geen
neitherkithnorkininEngland,andwasthereforeasfreeasair—orasfreeasanincomeofelevenshillingsandsixpenceadaywillpermitamantobe.Undersuchcircumstances,InaturallygravitatedtoLondon,thatgreatcesspoolintowhichalltheloungersandidlersoftheEmpireareirresistiblydrained.
ThereIstayedforsometimeata
privé
privatehotelintheStrand,leidde
leadingacomfortless,meaninglessexistence,andbesteedde
spendingsuchmoneyasIhad,considerablymorefreelythanIought.Soalarmingdidthe
toestand
stateofmyfinancesbecome,thatIsoonbesefte
realizedthatImusteitherleavethemetropolisandrusticatesomewhereinthecountry,orthatImustmakeacompletealterationinmystyleofliving.Kiezen
Choosingthelatteralternative,Ibegon
beganbymakingupmymindtoleavethehotel
hotel,andtotakeupmyquartersinsomeminder
lesspretentiousandlessexpensivedomicile.OntheverydaythatIhadcometothisconclusion,IwasstandingattheCriterion
Bar
Bar,whensomeonetappedmeontheshoulder,andturningroundIrecognizedyoungStamford,whohadbeenadresserundermeatBarts.ThesightofafriendlyfaceinthegreatwildernessofLondonisapleasantthingindeedtoalonelyman.
InolddaysStamfordhadneverbeenaparticularcronyofmine,butnowIhailedhimwithenthusiasm,andhe,inhisturn,appearedtobedelightedtoseeme.
Intheexuberanceofmyjoy,IaskedhimtolunchwithmeattheHolborn,andwestartedofftogetherinahansom.
“Whateverhaveyoubeendoingwithyourself,Watson?”
heaskedinundisguised
verwondering
wonder,aswerattledthroughthecrowdedLondonstreets.“Youareasthinasalathandasbrownasanut.”
Igavehima
korte
shortsketchofmyadventures,andhadhardlyconcludeditbythetimethatwebereikten
reachedourdestination.“Poordevil!”
hesaid,commiseratingly,afterhehadlistenedtomymisfortunes.
“Whatareyouuptonow?”
“Lookingforlodgings,”Ianswered.
“Tryingtosolvetheproblemasto
of
whetheritispossibletogetcomfortableroomsatareasonableprice.”“That’sa
vreemd
strangething,”remarkedmycompanion;“youarethesecondmanto-daythathasusedthatexpressiontome.”
“Andwhowasthefirst?”
Iasked.
“Afellowwhoisworkingatthechemicallaboratoryupatthehospital.
Hewasbemoaninghimselfthismorningbecausehecouldnotgetsomeonetogohalveswithhiminsomeniceroomswhichhehadfound,andwhichweretoomuchforhispurse.”
“ByJove!”
I
huilde
cried,“ifhereallywantssomeonetodelen
sharetheroomsandtheexpense,Iamtheverymanforhim.Ishouldpreferhavinga
partner
partnertobeingalone.”YoungStamfordlooked
nogal
ratherstrangelyatmeoverhiswine-glass.“Youdon’tknowSherlockHolmesyet,”hesaid;
“perhapsyouwouldnotcareforhimasaconstantcompanion.”
“Why,whatisthereagainsthim?”
“Oh,Ididn’tsaytherewasanythingagainsthim.
Heisalittlequeerinhisideas—anenthusiastinsomebranchesofscience.
AsfarasIknowheisadecentfellowenough.”
“Amedical
student
student,Isuppose?”saidI.
“No—Ihavenoideawhatheintendstogoinfor.
Ibelieveheiswellupinanatomy,andheisafirst-classchemist;
but,asfarasIknow,hehasnevertakenoutanysystematicmedicalclasses.
Hisstudiesareverydesultoryandeccentric,buthehasamassedalotofout-of-thewayknowledgewhichwouldastonishhisprofessors.”
“Didyouneveraskhimwhathewasgoinginfor?”
Iasked.
“No;
heisnotamanthatitiseasytodrawout,thoughhecanbecommunicativeenoughwhenthefancyseizeshim.”
“Ishouldliketomeethim,”Isaid.
“IfIamtolodgewithanyone,Ishouldpreferamanofstudiousandquiethabits.
Iamnot
sterk
strongenoughyettostandmuchnoiseorexcitement.IhadenoughofbothinAfghanistantolastmefortheremainderofmynaturalexistence.
HowcouldImeetthisfriendofyours?”
“Heissuretobeatthelaboratory,”returnedmycompanion.
“Heeitheravoidstheplaceforweeks,orelseheworkstherefrommorningtonight.
Ifyoulike,weshalldrive
rond
roundtogetherafterluncheon.”“Certainly,”Ianswered,andtheconversationdriftedawayintootherchannels.
AswemadeourwaytothehospitalafterleavingtheHolborn,StamfordgavemeafewmoreparticularsaboutthegentlemanwhomIproposedtotakeasafellow-lodger.
“Youmustn’tblamemeifyoudon’tgetonwithhim,”hesaid;
“IknownothingmoreofhimthanIhave
geleerd
learnedfrommeetinghimoccasionallyinthelaboratory.Youproposedthisarrangement,soyoumustnotholdmeresponsible.”
“Ifwedon’tgetonitwillbeeasytopartcompany,”Ianswered.
“It
lijkt
seemstome,Stamford,”Iadded,lookinghardatmycompanion,“thatyouhavesomereasonforwassen
washingyourhandsofthematter.Isthisfellow’stempersoformidable,orwhatisit?
Don’tbemealy-mouthedaboutit.”
“Itisnoteasytoexpresstheinexpressible,”heansweredwitha
lach
laugh.“Holmesisalittletooscientificformytastes—itapproachestocold-bloodedness.
Icould
voorstellen
imaginehisgivingafriendalittlepinchofthelatestvegetablealkaloid,notoutofmalevolence,youunderstand,butgewoon
simplyoutofaspiritofinquiryinordertohaveanaccurateideaoftheeffects.Todohimjustice,Ithinkthathewouldtakeithimselfwiththesamereadiness.
Heappearstohaveapassionfordefiniteandexactknowledge.”
“Veryrighttoo.”
“Yes,butitmaybe
geduwd
pushedtoexcess.Whenitcomestobeatingthesubjectsinthedissecting-roomswitha
stok
stick,itiscertainlytakingnogal
ratherabizarreshape.”“Beatingthesubjects!”
“Yes,toverifyhowfarbruisesmaybeproducedafterdeath.
Isawhimatitwithmyowneyes.”
“Andyetyousayheisnotamedicalstudent?”
“No.
Hemel
Heavenknowswhattheobjectsofhisstudiesare.Buthereweare,andyoumust
vormen
formyourownimpressionsabouthim.”Ashespoke,weturneddownanarrowlaneandpassedthroughasmallside-door,whichopenedintoawingofthegreathospital.
Itwasfamiliargroundtome,andIneedednoguidingasweascendedthebleakstonestaircaseandmadeourwaydownthelongcorridorwithitsvistaofwhitewashedwallanddun-coloureddoors.
Buurt
Nearthefurtherendalage
lowarchedpassagebranchedawayfromitandleidde
ledtothechemicallaboratory.Thiswasaloftychamber,linedandlitteredwithcountlessbottles.
Broad,
lage
lowtableswerescatteredabout,whichbristledwithretorts,test-tubes,andlittleBunsenlamps,withtheirblauwe
blueflickeringflames.Therewasonlyone
student
studentintheroom,whowasbendingoveradistanttafel
tableabsorbedinhiswork.Atthesoundofourstepsheglancedroundandsprangtohis
voeten
feetwithacryofplezier
pleasure.“I’vefoundit!
I’vefoundit,”heshoutedtomycompanion,runningtowardsuswithatest-tubeinhishand.
“Ihavefoundare-agentwhichisprecipitatedbyhæmoglobin,andbynothingelse.”
Hadhediscoveredagoldmine,greaterdelightcouldnothaveshoneuponhisfeatures.
“Dr.
Watson,Mr.SherlockHolmes,”saidStamford,introducingus.
“Howareyou?”
hesaidcordially,grippingmyhandwithastrengthforwhichIshouldhardlyhavegivenhimcredit.
“YouhavebeeninAfghanistan,Iperceive.”
“Howonearthdidyouknowthat?”
Iaskedinastonishment.
“Nevermind,”saidhe,chucklingtohimself.
“Thequestionnowisabouthæmoglobin.
Nodoubtyouseethesignificanceofthisdiscoveryofmine?”
“Itis
interessant
interesting,chemically,nodoubt,”Ianswered,“butpractically——”.“Why,man,itisthemostpracticalmedico-legaldiscoveryforyears.
Don’tyouseethatitgivesusaninfallible
test
testforbloodstains.Comeoverherenow!”
Heseizedmebythecoat-sleeveinhiseagerness,anddrewmeovertothe
tafel
tableatwhichhehadbeenworking.“Letushavesome
vers
freshblood,”hesaid,diggingalongbodkinintohisfinger,anddrawingofftheresultingdruppel
dropofbloodinachemicalpipette.“Now,Iaddthissmallquantityofbloodtoalitreofwater.
Youperceivethattheresultingmixturehastheappearanceofpurewater.
Theproportionofbloodcannotbemorethanoneinamillion.
Ihaveno
twijfel
doubt,however,thatweshallbeabletoobtainthecharacteristicreaction.”Ashespoke,he
gooide
threwintothevesselafewwhitecrystals,andthenaddedsomedropsofatransparentfluid.Inaninstantthecontentsassumedadullmahoganycolour,andabrownishdustwasprecipitatedtothebottomofthe
glazen
glassjar.“Ha!
ha!”
he
huilde
cried,clappinghishands,andlookingasdelightedasachildwithanewtoy.“Whatdoyouthinkofthat?”
“It
lijkt
seemstobeaverydelicatetest,”Iremarked.“Beautiful!
beautiful!
TheoldGuiacum
test
testwasveryclumsyanduncertain.Soisthemicroscopicexaminationforbloodcorpuscles.
Thelatterisvaluelessifthestainsareafewhoursold.
Now,thisappearstoactaswellwhetherthebloodisoldornew.
Hadthis
test
testbeeninvented,therearehundredsofmennowwalkingtheearthwhowouldlongagohavepaidthepenaltyoftheircrimes.”“Indeed!”
Imurmured.
“Criminalcasesarecontinuallyhinginguponthatonepoint.
Amanissuspectedofa
misdaad
crimemonthsperhapsafterithasbeencommitted.Hislinenor
kleren
clothesareexamined,andbrownishstainsdiscovereduponthem.Aretheybloodstains,ormudstains,orruststains,orfruitstains,orwhatarethey?
Thatisaquestionwhichhaspuzzledmanyanexpert,andwhy?
Becausetherewasnoreliable
test
test.NowwehavetheSherlockHolmes’
test
test,andtherewillnolongerbeanydifficulty.”Hiseyesfairlyglitteredashespoke,andheputhishandoverhisheartandbowedasiftosomeapplaudingcrowdconjuredupbyhisimagination.
“Youaretobecongratulated,”Iremarked,considerably
verbaasd
surprisedathisenthusiasm.“TherewasthecaseofVonBischoffatFrankfortlastyear.
Hewould
zeker
certainlyhavebeenhunghadthistest
testbeeninexistence.ThentherewasMasonofBradford,andthenotoriousMuller,andLefevreofMontpellier,andSamsonofNewOrleans.
Icouldnameascoreofcasesinwhichitwouldhavebeendecisive.”
“You
lijkt
seemtobeawalkingcalendarofcrime,”saidStamfordwithalach
laugh.“Youmightstartapaperonthoselines.
Callitthe‘PoliceNewsofthePast.’”.
“Very
interessant
interestingreadingitmightbemade,too,”remarkedSherlockHolmes,stickingasmallstukje
pieceofplasterovertheprickonhisfinger.“Ihavetobecareful,”hecontinued,turningtomewitha
glimlach
smile,“forIdabblewithpoisonsagooddeal.”Heheldouthishandashespoke,andI
merkte
noticedthatitwasallmottledoverwithsimilarpiecesofplaster,anddiscolouredwithsterke
strongacids.“Wecamehereonbusiness,”saidStamford,sittingdownonahighthree-leggedstool,and
duwde
pushinganotheroneinmydirectionwithhisvoet
foot.“Myfriendherewantstotakediggings,andasyouwerecomplainingthatyoucouldgetnoonetogohalveswithyou,IthoughtthatIhadbetterbringyoutogether.”
SherlockHolmes
leek
seemeddelightedattheideaofdelen
sharinghisroomswithme.“Ihavemy
oog
eyeonasuiteinBakerStreet,”hesaid,“whichwouldsuitusdowntotheground.Youdon’tmindthe
geur
smellofstrongtobacco,Ihope?”“Ialways
rook
smoke‘ship’s’myself,”Ianswered.“That’sgoodenough.
Igenerallyhavechemicalsabout,andoccasionallydoexperiments.
Wouldthatannoyyou?”
“Bynomeans.”
“Letmesee—whataremyothershortcomings.
Igetinthedumpsattimes,anddon’topenmy
mond
mouthfordaysonend.YoumustnotthinkIamsulkywhenIdothat.
Justletmealone,andI’llsoonberight.
Whathaveyoutoconfessnow?
It’sjustaswellfortwofellowstoknowthe
ergste
worstofoneanotherbeforetheybeginnen
begintolivetogether.”I
lachte
laughedatthiscross-examination.“Ikeepabullpup,”Isaid,“andIobjecttorowsbecausemynervesareshaken,andIgetupatallsortsofungodlyhours,andIamextremelylazy.
IhaveanothersetofviceswhenI’mwell,butthosearetheprincipalonesatpresent.”
“Doyouincludeviolin-playinginyourcategoryofrows?”
heasked,anxiously.
“Itdependsontheplayer,”Ianswered.
“Awell-playedviolinisa
traktatie
treatforthegods—abadly-playedone——”.“Oh,that’sallright,”he
huilde
cried,withamerrylaugh.“Ithinkwemayconsiderthethingassettled—thatis,iftheroomsareagreeabletoyou.”
“Whenshallweseethem?”
“Callformehereatnoonto-morrow,andwe’llgotogetherandsettleeverything,”heanswered.
“Allright—noonexactly,”saidI,shakinghishand.
Welefthimworkingamonghischemicals,andwewalkedtogethertowardsmy
hotel
hotel.“Bytheway,”Iasked
plotseling
suddenly,stoppingandturninguponStamford,“howthedeucedidheknowthatIhadcomefromAfghanistan?”Mycompanionsmiledanenigmatical
glimlach
smile.“That’sjusthislittlepeculiarity,”hesaid.
“Agoodmanypeoplehavewantedtoknowhowhefindsthingsout.”
“Oh!
amysteryisit?”
I
huilde
cried,rubbingmyhands.“Thisisverypiquant.
Iammuchobligedtoyouforbringingustogether.
‘Theproper
studie
studyofmankindisman,’youknow.”“Youmuststudyhim,then,”Stamfordsaid,ashebademegood-bye.
“You’llfindhimaknottyproblem,though.
I’llwagerhe
leert
learnsmoreaboutyouthanyouabouthim.Good-bye.”
CHAPTERII.THESCIENCEOFDEDUCTION.