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SHERLOCK HOLMES
THE ADVENTURE OF THE RED CIRCLE
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
〃Well； Mrs。 Warren； I cannot see that you have any particular
cause for uneasiness； nor do I understand why I； whose time is of some
value； should interfere in the matter。 I really have other things to
engage me。〃 So spoke Sherlock Holmes and turned back to the great
scrapbook in which he was arranging and indexing some of his recent
material。
But the landlady had the pertinacity and also the cunning of her
sex。 She held her ground firmly。
〃You arranged an affair for a lodger of mine last year；〃 she said…
〃Mr。 Fairdale Hobbs。〃
〃Ah； yes… a simple matter。〃
〃But he would never cease talking of it… your kindness； sir； and the
way in which you brought light into the darkness。 I remembered his
words when I was in doubt and darkness myself。 I know you could if you
only would。〃
Holmes was accessible upon the side of flattery； and also； to do him
justice； upon the side of kindliness。 The two forces made him lay down
his gum…brush with a sigh of resignation and push back his chair。
〃Well； well； Mrs。 Warren； let us hear about it then。 You don't
object to tobacco； I take it？ Thank you； Watson… the matches！ You
are uneasy； as I understand； because your new lodger remains in his
rooms and you cannot see him。 Why； bless you； Mrs。 Warren； if I were
your lodger you often would not see me for weeks on end。〃
〃No doubt； sir； but this is different。 It frightens me； Mr。
Holmes。 I can't sleep for fright。 To hear his quick step moving here
and moving there from early morning to late at night； and yet never to
catch so much as a glimpse of him… it's more than I can stand。 My
husband is as nervous over it as I am； but he is out at his work all
day； while I get no rest from it。 What is he hiding for？ What has he
done？ Except for the girl； I am all alone in the house with him； and
it's more than my nerves can stand。〃
Holmes leaned forward and laid his long； thin fingers upon the
woman's shoulder。 He had an almost hypnotic power of soothing when
he wished。 The scared look faded from her eyes； and her agitated
features smoothed into their usual commonplace。 She sat down in the
chair which he had indicated。
〃If I take it up I must understand every detail；〃 said he。 〃Take
time to consider。 The smallest point may be the most essential。 You
say that the man came ten days ago and paid you for a fortnight's
board and lodging？〃
〃He asked my terms； sir。 I said fifty shillings a week。 There is a
small sittingroom and bedroom； and all complete； at the top of the
house。〃
〃Well？〃
〃He said； 'I'll pay you five pounds a week if I can have it on my
own terms。' I'm a poor woman； sir； and Mr。 Warren earns little； and
the money meant much to me。 He took out a ten…pound note； and he
held it out to me then and there。 'You can have the same every
fortnight for a long time to come if you keep the terms；' he said。 'If
not； I'll have no more to do with you。'〃
〃What were the terms？〃
〃Well； sir； they were that he was to have a key of the house。 That
was all right。 Lodgers often have them。 Also； that he was to be left
entirely to himself and never； upon any excuse； to be disturbed。〃
〃Nothing wonderful in that； surely？〃
〃Not in reason； sir。 But this is out of all reason。 He has been
there for ten days； and neither Mr。 Warren； nor I； nor the girl has
once set eyes upon him。 We can hear that quick step of his pacing up
and down； up and down； night； morning； and noon； but except on that
first night he has never once gone out of the house。〃
〃Oh； he went out the first night； did he？〃
〃Yes； sir； and returned very late… after we were all in bed。 He told
me after he had taken the rooms that he would do so and asked me not
to bar the door。 I heard him come up the stair after midnight。〃
〃But his meals？〃
〃It was his particular direction that we should always； when he
rang； leave his meal upon a chair； outside his door。 Then he rings
again when he has finished； and we take it down from the same chair。
If he wants anything else he prints it on a slip of paper and leaves
it。〃
〃Prints it？〃
〃Yes； sir； prints it in pencil。 just the word； nothing more。
Here's one I brought to show you… SOAP。 Here's another… MATCH。 This is
one he left the first morning… DAILY GAZETTE。 I leave that paper
with his breakfast every morning。〃
〃Dear me； Watson；〃 said Holmes； staring with great curiosity at
the slips of foolscap which the landlady had handed to him； 〃this is
certainly a little unusual。 Seclusion I can understand； but why print？
Printing is a clumsy process。 Why not write？ What would it suggest
Watson？〃
〃That he desired to conceal his handwriting。〃
〃But why？ What can it matter to him that his landlady should have
a word of his writing？ Still； it may be as you say。 Then； again； why
such laconic messages？〃
〃I cannot imagine。〃
〃It opens a pleasing field for intelligent speculation。 The words
are written with a broad…pointed； violet…tinted pencil of a not
unusual pattern。 You will observe that the paper is torn away at the
side here after the printing was done； so that the 'S' of 'SOAP' is
partly gone。 Suggestive； Watson； is it not？〃
〃Of caution？〃
〃Exactly。 There was evidently some mark； some thumbprint；
something which might give a clue to the person's identity。 Now；
Mrs。 Warren； you say that the man was of middle size； dark； and
bearded。 What age would he be？〃
〃Youngish； sir… not over thirty。〃
〃Well； can you give me no further indications？〃
〃He spoke good English； sir； and yet I thought he was a foreigner by
his accent。〃
〃And he was well dressed？〃
〃Very smartly dressed； sir… quite the gentleman。 Dark clothes…
nothing you would note。〃
〃He gave no name？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃And has had no letters or callers？〃
〃None。〃
〃But surely you or the girl enter his room of a morning？〃
〃No； sir； he looks after himself entirely。〃
〃Dear me！ that is certainly remarkable。 What about his luggage？〃
〃He had one big brown bag with him… nothing else。〃
〃Well； we don't seem to have much material to help us。 Do you say
nothing has come out of that room… absolutely nothing？〃
The landlady drew an envelope from her bag； from it she shook out
two burnt matches and a cigarette…end upon the table。
〃They were on his tray this morning。 I brought them because I had
heard that you can read great things out of small ones。〃
Holmes shrugged his shoulders。
〃There is nothing here；〃 said he。 〃The matches have； of course； been
used to light cigarettes。 That is obvious from the shortness of the
burnt end。 Half the match is consumed in lighting a pipe or cigar。 But
dear me！ this cigarette stub is certainly remarkable。 The gentleman
was bearded and moustached； you say？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃I don't understand that。 I should say that only a clean…shaven
man could have smoked this。 Why； Watson； even your modest moustache
would have been singed。〃
〃A holder？〃 I suggested。
〃No； no； the end is matted。 I suppose there could not be two
people in your rooms； Mrs。 Warren？〃
〃No； sir。 He eats so little that I often wonder it can keep life
in one。〃
〃Well； I think we must wait for a little more material。 After all；
you have nothing to complain of。 You have received your rent and he is
not a troublesome lodger； though he is certainly an unusual one。 He
pays you well。 and if he choses to lie concealed it is no direct
business of yours。 We have no excuse for an intrusion upon his privacy
until we have some reason to think that there is a guilty reason for
it。 I've taken up the matter； and I won't lose sight of it。 Report
to me if anything fresh occurs； and rely upon my assistance if it
should be needed。
〃There are certainly some points of interest in this case；
Watson；〃 he remarked when the landlady had left us。 〃It may； of
course； be trivial… individual eccentricity； or it may be very much
deeper than appears on the surface。 The first thing that strikes one
is the obvious possibility that the person now in the rooms may be
entirely different from the one who engaged them。〃
〃Why should you think so？〃
〃Well； apart from this cigarette…end； was it not suggestive that the
only time the lodger went out was immediately after his taking the
rooms？ He came back… or someone came back… when all witnesses were out
of the way。 We have no proof that the person who came back was the
person who went out。 Then； again； the man who took the rooms spoke
English well。 This other； however； prints 'match' when it should
have been 'matches。' I can imagine that the word was taken out of a
dictionary； which would give the noun but not the plural。 The
laconic style may be to conceal the absence of knowledge of English。
Yes； Watson； there are good reasons to suspect that there has been a