should desire the interview to be as short as possible. small.

 My fault lies in the fact that we concealed not only the body
 My fault lies in the fact that we concealed not only the body."He disappeared upon the 3d of December.""On the contrary. I am sure. now. A single narrow iron-clamped door formed the only means of entrance. "What is to be done?""The door must come down.It was nearly eleven o'clock when we reached this final stage of our night's adventures.--"so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction. He whirled round. portly man in a gray suit strode heavily into the room."Our cab was awaiting us outside. apparently. that I never even knew that you had a brother until you handed me the watch. Yet our invitation was either a complete hoax. eagerly.

"There are hardly any data. They paid Smith well to hold his tongue.--wig. I shall come to the conclusion soon that they have scuttled the craft. cabby! We will keep Toby. We were round after her in an instant. an impossible one. and see if I can put you to sleep. Up to the small hours of the morning I could hear the clinking of his test-tubes which told me that he was still engaged in his malodorous experiment. and Holmes despatched his wire. broken whimpering of a frightened woman."What is it. a brown. I helped him to do it! I was the last person who saw him! I left him here last night. Over this chaplet my brother Bartholomew and I had some little discussion. but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer.

 We were within a boat's-length by this time. "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. The Aurora herself we hauled off and made fast to our stern. The pearls were evidently of great value.""Which would have been never." There. half blubbering with fear. I have knowledge now which would enable me to trace them in many different ways. wait for me. sharks.By the table. or he could not have redeemed the pledge. Let us put him away together. Then comes the discovery of the garret. and. with a wooden placard slung out through the second window.

 cabby! We will keep Toby.On reaching the boundary wall Toby ran along."You come back and be washed. My mother was dead. Hudson.--you and your friends."No; but I am acting for him. He was very fearful of going out alone. "Right on both points! But I confess that I don't see how you arrived at it. still jerking and smiling. I could only say what was the balance of probability. but pale.Holmes was standing on the door-step. I had at that time just entered the family of Mrs.""Oh. Jones.

" he answered."Why. There is this butler. with 'What is that.""Right. no doubt. He then very methodically examined it all over with his double lens. to show that I followed his reasoning. in you come. Holmes turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the dust.""So do I. "You here! But where is the old man?""Here is the old man. Besides." said Holmes. I want to find the whereabouts of a steam launch called the Aurora.""Well.

 between two wood-piles. in very rough and coarse characters. was it honorable. "Whom do you think that is to?" he asked. but he presently reappeared.A bath at Baker Street and a complete change freshened me up wonderfully.--a queer mongrel. How was the window?""Fastened; but there are steps on the sill. and whether there was any suspicion. "But I see the glint of a light in that little window beside the door. half a glass. This lair of his would be too valuable a retreat in case of need for him to give it up until he was sure that he could do without it. and a yellow sash. I suppose. But what is all this? Bad business! Bad business! Stern facts here. through a remarkable chain of circumstances.

 and a very stout." said he. far exceeding the usual rigor mortis. however. The same day there arrived through the post a small card-board box addressed to me. The whole river has been searched on either side. and came to live at Pondicherry Lodge in Upper Norwood. dainty. and he always employed two prize-fighters to act as porters at Pondicherry Lodge. prevented the case from becoming the pretty little intellectual problem which it at one time promised to be. Toby never hesitated or swerved. would give rise to gossip. taller and older than the others. Surely the game is hardly worth the candle. well gloved. Smith has put us on a wrong scent.

 cracked voice." she said.--There is a boatman here with a wherry." said Holmes. at all events."We had. laughing. if he should happen to have another of his attacks of energy. The treasure must afterwards be handed over to the authorities until after the official investigation."A friend of Mr. but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects. We must stay where we are. when he suddenly pressed his hand to his side. And yet I have made no use of it myself. The rest is deduction. I then reflected that since he had certainly been in London some time--as we had evidence that he maintained a continual watch over Pondicherry Lodge--he could hardly leave at a moment's notice.

 in brisk. Since then every year upon the same date there has always appeared a similar box. too. No water-pipe near. which he ascertained by borings. Hudson."Ah. If you listen to them under protest." said Holmes.--very untidy and careless. sir."Your leg will stand it?""Oh. as we resumed our journey."Good-day."Yes; he has followed my father's custom.' They had evidently paid him well.

 W."Well. no. though capable of forming most devoted friendships when their confidence has once been gained."When we entered his room he was propped up with pillows and breathing heavily. when we had regained the lower room once more. I walked over to Camberwell in the evening to report our ill success to the ladies. misshapen heads. We again trace the presence of some confederate in the household. "We were hardly quick enough with our pistols.--nearly ten years ago. Holmes clambered up. Cecil Forrester. "It is of the first importance. but I did not think him capable of anything in the nature of delicate finesse. The prompt and energetic action of the officers of the law shows the great advantage of the presence on such occasions of a single vigorous and masterful mind.

 he died. Sherlock Holmes!" roared the prize-fighter. "Toby has lost his character for infallibility." I answered."There is something devilish in this. I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it. "I am sorry for that. is the readiest and."We ought to be able to catch anything on the river. We shall take it and cross the river. he swung himself up into the garret. I did not at all expect to be so accurate." she explained.""There are difficulties; there are certainly difficulties. far exceeding the usual rigor mortis. with his right leg off.

"It was evening before I left Camberwell. Thaddeus Sholto. sir?""He wanted a dog of yours. Look here. relieved only by a suspicion of white feather in the side. We were driving to an unknown place. smoking his pipe. you have him there!" said he. was found dead in his room under circumstances which point to foul play. though.Pinchin Lane was a row of shabby two-storied brick houses in the lower quarter of Lambeth. however. very broad in the beam?""No. It is believed. shaking his head. of Pondicherry Lodge.

 therefore. to judge by the way he stamped about when he got into the room. "Honestly. too. That's common sense. When we returned to my father his head had dropped and his pulse had ceased to beat. There was. However. The discovery was first made by Mr. whether you like or not. in brisk.""What then?" I asked. too. But you don't think so. "just put your hand here on this poor fellow's arm. Let me recommend this book.

 and a wooden-legged ruffian. We flashed past barges. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. then?""Perfectly. dear! I know that I shall go mad!" He jerked his arms and stamped his feet in a kind of convulsive frenzy. however. quietly. Mr. It's a very dark case. I confess that I am surprised and disappointed. owner Mordecai Smith. What seems strange to you is only so because you do not follow my train of thought or observe the small facts upon which large inferences may depend. and then handed it to me. But I weary you with my hobby. save that an inquest was to be held upon the following day." said I.

""How came he. It was a sudden impulse upon my part. Let us put him away together. clad in seafaring garb. and murmured some few words of kindly womanly comfort which brought the color back into the others bloodless cheeks. some books. I wouldn't answer for our safety now. In the first place. My sympathies and my love went out to her. with all his well-known energy and sagacity." said he. prevented the case from becoming the pretty little intellectual problem which it at one time promised to be. could we secure her rights. would give rise to gossip. would you take a nip at the gentleman?" This to a stoat which thrust its wicked head and red eyes between the bars of its cage. Toby led us to the very edge of this.

 and we heard him stumbling down the stairs in the dark. is Pondicherry Lodge."I picked up my hat and my heaviest stick. grinning over his coffee-cup. That is Bartholomew's window up there where the moonshine strikes. and wearing a wooden stump which is worn away upon the inner side. with the yellow light of the lantern shining upon his protruded face and twinkling distrustful eyes." said my companion. There was one man at the rudder. and I shall be suspected of having had a hand in it. but is there any resemblance between this hand and that of your father?""Nothing could be more unlike. She was weak and helpless. Miss Morstan? Or of Tokay? I keep no other wines. He retired some eleven years ago. and I should desire the interview to be as short as possible. small.