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matter dropped。 I turn to you； Mr。 Holmes； as
absolutely my last hope。 If you fail me； then my
honor as well as my position are forever forfeited。〃
The invalid sank back upon his cushions； tired out by
this long recital； while his nurse poured him out a
glass of some stimulating medicine。 Holmes sat
silently； with his head thrown back and his eyes
closed； in an attitude which might seem listless to a
stranger； but which I knew betokened the most intense
self…absorption。
〃You statement has been so explicit；〃 said he at last；
〃that you have really left me very few questions to
ask。 There is one of the very utmost importance；
however。 Did you tell any one that you had this
special task to perform？〃
〃No one。〃
〃Not Miss Harrison here； for example？〃
〃No。 I had not been back to Woking between getting
the order and executing the commission。〃
〃And none of your people had by chance been to see
you？〃
〃None。〃
〃Did any of them know their way about in the office？〃
〃Oh； yes； all of them had been shown over it。〃
〃Still； of course； if you said nothing to any one
about the treaty these inquiries are irrelevant。〃
〃I said nothing。〃
〃Do you know anything of the commissionnaire？〃
〃Nothing except that he is an old soldier。〃
〃What regiment？〃
〃Oh； I have heardColdstream Guards。〃
〃Thank you。 I have no doubt I can get details from
Forbes。 The authorities are excellent at amassing
facts； though they do not always use them to
advantage。 What a lovely thing a rose is！〃
He walked past the couch to the open window； and held
up the drooping stalk of a moss…rose； looking down at
the dainty blend of crimson and green。 It was a new
phase of his character to me； for I had never before
seen him show any keen interest in natural objects。
〃There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary
as in religion；〃 said he； leaning with his back
against the shutters。 〃It can be built up as an exact
science by the reasoner。 Our highest assurance of the
goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the
flowers。 All other things； our powers our desires；
our food； are all really necessary for our existence
in the first instance。 But this rose is an extra。
Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life；
not a condition of it。 It is only goodness which
gives extras； and so I say again that we have much to
hope from the flowers。
Percy Phelps and his nurse looked at Holmes during
this demonstration with surprise and a good deal of
disappointment written upon their faces。 He had
fallen into a reverie； with the moss…rose between his
fingers。 It had lasted some minutes before the young
lady broke in upon it。
〃Do you see any prospect of solving this mystery； Mr。
Holmes？〃 she asked； with a touch of asperity in her
voice。
〃Oh； the mystery！〃 he answered； coming back with a
start to the realities of life。 〃Well； it would be
absurd to deny that the case is a very abstruse and
complicated one； but I can promise you that I will
look into the matter and let you know any points which
may strike me。〃
〃Do you see any clue？〃
〃You have furnished me with seven； but； of course； I
must test them before I can pronounce upon their
value。〃
〃You suspect some one？〃
〃I suspect myself。〃
〃What！〃
〃Of coming to conclusions to rapidly。〃
〃Then go to London and test your conclusions。〃
〃Your advice is very excellent； Miss Harrison；〃 said
Holmes； rising。 〃I think； Watson； we cannot do
better。 Do not allow yourself to indulge in false
hopes； Mr。 Phelps。 The affair is a very tangled one。〃
〃I shall be in a fever until I see you again；〃 cried
the diplomatist。
〃Well； I'll come out be the same train to…morrow；
though it's more than likely that my report will be a
negative one。〃
〃God bless you for promising to come；〃 cried our
client。 〃It gives me fresh life to know that
something is being done。 By the way； I have had a
letter from Lord Holdhurst。〃
〃Ha！ What did he say？〃
〃He was cold； but not harsh。 I dare say my severe
illness prevented him from being that。 He repeated
that the matter was of the utmost importance； and
added that no steps would be taken about my futureby
which he means； of course； my dismissaluntil my
health was restored and I had an opportunity of
repairing my misfortune。〃
〃Well； that was reasonable and considerate；〃 said
Holmes。 〃Come； Watson； for we have a goody day's work
before us in town。〃
Mr。 Joseph Harrison drove us down to the station； and
we were soon whirling up in a Portsmouth train。
Holmes was sunk in profound thought； and hardly opened
his mouth until we had passed Clapham Junction。
〃It's a very cheery thing to come into London by any
of these lines which run high； and allow you to look
down upon the houses like this。〃
I thought he was joking； for the view was sordid
enough； but he soon explained himself。
〃Look at those big； isolated clumps of building rising
up above the slates； like brick islands in a
lead…colored sea。〃
〃The board…schools。〃
〃Light…houses； my boy！ Beacons of the future！
Capsules with hundreds of bright little seeds in each；
out of which will spring the wise； better England of
the future。 I suppose that man Phelps does not
drink？〃
〃I should not think so。〃
〃Nor should I； but we are bound to take every
possibility into account。 The poor devil has
certainly got himself into very deep water； and it's a
question whether we shall ever be able to get him
ashore。 What did you think of Miss Harrison？〃
〃A girl of strong character。〃
〃Yes； but she is a good sort； or I am mistaken。 She
and her brother are the only children of an
iron…master somewhere up Northumberland way。 He got
engaged to her when traveling last winter； and she
came down to be introduced to his people； with her
brother as escort。 Then came the smash； and she
stayed on to nurse her lover； while brother Joseph；
finding himself pretty snug； stayed on too。 I've been
making a few independent inquiries； you see。 But
to…day must be a day of inquiries。〃
〃My practice〃 I began。
〃Oh； if you find your own cases more interesting than
mine〃 said Holmes； with some asperity。
〃I was going to say that my practice could get along
very well for a day or two； since it is the slackest
time in the year。〃
〃Excellent；〃 said he； recovering his good…humor。
〃Then we'll look into this matter together。 I think
that we should begin be seeing Forbes。 He can
probably tell us all the details we want until we know
from what side the case is to be approached。
〃You said you had a clue？〃
〃Well； we have several； but we can only test their
value by further inquiry。 The most difficult crime to
track is the one which is purposeless。 Now this is
not purposeless。 Who is it who profits by it？ There
is the French ambassador； there is the Russian； there
is who…ever might sell it to either of these； and
there is Lord Holdhurst。〃
〃Lord Holdhurst！〃
〃Well； it is just conceivable that a statesman might
find himself in a position where he was not sorry to
have such a document accidentally destroyed。〃
〃Not a statesman wit the honorable record of Lord
Holdhurst？〃
〃It is a possibility and we cannot afford to disregard
it。 We shall see the noble lord to…day and find out
if he can tell us anything。 Meanwhile I have already
set inquiries on foot。〃
〃Already？〃
〃Yes； I sent wires from Woking station to every
evening paper in London。 This advertisement will
appear in each of them。〃
He handed over a sheet torn from a note…book。 On it
was scribbled in pencil： 〃L10 reward。 The number of
the cab which dropped a fare at or about the door of
the Foreign Office in Charles Street at quarter to ten
in the evening of May 23d。 Apply 221 B； Baker
Street。〃
〃You are confident that the thief came in a cab？〃
〃If not； there is no harm done。 But if Mr。 Phelps is
correct in stating that there is no hiding…place
either in the room or the corridors； then the person
must have come from outside。 If he came from outside
on so wet a night； and yet left no trace of damp upon
the linoleum； which was examined within a few minutes
of his passing； then it is exceeding probably that he
came in a cab。 Yes； I think that we may safely deduce
a cab。〃
〃It sounds plausible。〃
〃That is one of the clues of which I spoke。 It may
lead us to something。 And then； of course； there is
the bellwhich is the most distinctive feature of the
case。 Why should the bell ring？ Was it the thief who
did it out of bravado？ Or was it some one who was
with the thief who did it in order to prevent the
crime？ Or was it an accident？ Or was it？〃 He sank
back into the state of i