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and a touch of color about his necktie。
〃Good…evening； doctor；〃 said Holmes； cheerily。 〃I am
glad to see that you have only been waiting a very few
minutes。〃
〃You spoke to my coachman； then？〃
〃No； it was the candle on the side…table that told me。
Pray resume your seat and let me know how I can serve
you。〃
〃My name is Doctor Percy Trevelyan；〃 said our visitor；
〃and I live at 403 Brook Street。〃
〃Are you not the author of a monograph upon obscure
nervous lesions？〃 I asked。
His pale cheeks flushed with pleasure at hearing that
his work was known to me。
〃I so seldom hear of the work that I thought it was
quite dead；〃 said he。 〃My publishers gave me a most
discouraging account of its sale。 You are yourself； I
presume； a medical man？〃
〃A retired army surgeon。〃
〃My own hobby has always been nervous disease。 I
should wish to make it an absolute specialty； but； of
course； a man must take what he can get at first。
This； however； is beside the question； Mr。 Sherlock
Holmes； and I quite appreciate how valuable your time
is。 The fact is that a very singular train of events
has occurred recently at my house in Brook Street； and
to…night they came to such a head that I felt it was
quite impossible for me to wait another hour before
asking for your advice and assistance。〃
Sherlock Holmes sat down and lit his pipe。 〃You are
very welcome to both；〃 said he。 〃Pray let me have a
detailed account of what the circumstances are which
have disturbed you。〃
〃One or two of them are so trivial；〃 said Dr。
Trevelyan； 〃that really I am almost ashamed to mention
them。 But the matter is so inexplicable； and the
recent turn which it has taken is so elaborate； that I
shall lay it all before you； and you shall judge what
is essential and what is not。
〃I am compelled； to begin with； to say something of my
own college career。 I am a London University man； you
know； and I am sure that your will not think that I am
unduly singing my own praises if I say that my student
career was considered by my professors to be a very
promising one。 After I had graduated I continued to
devote myself to research； occupying a minor position
in King's College Hospital； and I was fortunate enough
to excite considerable interest by my research into
the pathology of catalepsy； and finally to win the
Bruce Pinkerton prize and medal by the monograph on
nervous lesions to which your friend has just alluded。
I should not go too far if I were to say that there
was a general impression at that time that a
distinguished career lay before me。
〃But the one great stumbling…block lay in my want of
capital。 As you will readily understand； a specialist
who aims high is compelled to start in one of a dozen
streets in the Cavendish Square quarter； all of which
entail enormous rents and furnishing expenses。
Besides this preliminary outlay； he must be prepared
to keep himself for some years； and to hire a
presentable carriage and horse。 To do this was quite
beyond my power； and I could only hope that by economy
I might in ten years' time save enough to enable me to
put up my plate。 Suddenly； however； an unexpected
incident opened up quite a new prospect to me。
〃This was a visit from a gentleman of the name of
Blessington； who was a complete stranger to me。 He
came up to my room one morning； and plunged into
business in an instant。
〃'You are the same Percy Trevelyan who has had so
distinguished a career and own a great prize lately？'
said he。
〃I bowed。
〃'Answer my frankly；' he continued； 'for you will find
it to your interest to do so。 You have all the
cleverness which makes a successful man。 Have you the
tact？'
〃I could not help smiling at the abruptness of the
question。
〃'I trust that I have my share；' I said。
〃'Any bad habits？ Not drawn towards drink； eh？'
〃'Really； sir！' I cried。
〃'Quite right！ That's all right！ But I was bound to
ask。 With all these qualities； why are you not in
practice？'
〃I shrugged my shoulders。
〃'Come； come！' said he； in his bustling way。 'It's
the old story。 More in your brains than in your
pocket； eh？ What would you say if I were to start you
in Brook Street？'
〃I stared at him in astonishment。
〃'Oh； it's for my sake； not for yours；' he cried。
'I'll be perfectly frank with you； and if it suits you
it will suit me very well。 I have a few thousands to
invest； d'ye see； and I think I'll sink them in you。'
〃'But why？' I gasped。
〃'Well； it's just like any other speculation； and
safer than most。'
〃'What am I to do ； then？'
〃'I'll tell you。 I'll take the house； furnish it； pay
the maids； and run the whole place。 All you have to
do is just to wear out your chair in the
consulting…room。 I'll let you have pocket…money and
everything。 Then you hand over to me three quarters
of what you earn； and you keep the other quarter for
yourself。'
〃This was the strange proposal； Mr。 Holmes； with which
the man Blessington approached me。 I won't weary you
with the account of how we bargained and negotiated。
It ended in my moving into the house next Lady…day；
and starting in practice on very much the same
conditions as he had suggested。 He cam himself to
live with me in the character of a resident patient。
His heart was weak； it appears； and he needed constant
medical supervision。 He turned the two best rooms of
the first floor into a sitting…room and bedroom for
himself。 He was a man of singular habits； shunning
company and very seldom going out。 His life was
irregular； but in one respect he was regularity
itself。 Every evening； at the same hour； he walked
into the consulting…room； examined the books； put down
five and three…pence for every guinea that I had
earned； and carried the rest off to the strong…box in
his own room。
〃I may say with confidence that he never had occasion
to regret his speculation。 From the first it was a
success。 A few good cases and the reputation which I
had won in the hospital brought me rapidly to the
front； and during the last few years I have made him a
rich man。
〃So much； Mr。 Holmes； for my past history and my
relations with Mr。 Blessington。 It only remains for
me now to tell you what has occurred to bring me her
to…night。
〃Some weeks ago Mr。 Blessington came down to me in； as
it seemed to me； a state of considerable agitation。
He spoke of some burglary which； he said； had been
committed in the West End； and he appeared； I
remember； to be quite unnecessarily excited about it；
declaring that a day should not pass before we should
add stronger bolts to our windows and doors。 For a
week he continued to be in a peculiar state of
restlessness； peering continually out of the windows；
and ceasing to take the short walk which had usually
been the prelude to his dinner。 From his manner it
struck me that he was in mortal dread of something or
somebody； but when I questioned him upon the point he
became so offensive that I was compelled to drop the
subject。 Gradually； as time passed； his fears
appeared to die away； and he had renewed his former
habits； when a fresh event reduced him to the pitiable
state of prostration in which he now lies。
〃What happened was this。 Two days ago I received the
letter which I now read to you。 Neither address nor
date is attached to it。
〃'A Russian nobleman who is now resident in England；'
it runs； 'would be glad to avail himself of the
professional assistance of Dr。 Percy Trevelyan。 He
has been for some years a victim to cataleptic
attacks； on which； as is well known； Dr。 Trevelyan is
an authority。 He proposes to call at about quarter
past six to…morrow evening； if Dr。 Trevelyan will make
it convenient to be at home。'
〃This letter interest me deeply； because the chief
difficulty in the study of catalepsy is the rareness
of the disease。 You may believe； than； that I was in
my consulting…room when； at the appointed hour； the
page showed in the patient。
He was an elderly man； thin； demure； and
common…placeby no means the conception one forms of
a Russian nobleman。 I was much more struck by the
appearance of his companion。 This was a tall young
man； surprisingly handsome； with a dark； fierce face；
and the limbs and chest of a Hercules。 He had his
hand under the other's arm as they entered； and helped
him to a chair with a tenderness which one would
hardly have expected from his appearance。
〃'You will excuse my coming in； doctor；' said he to
me； speaking English with a slight lisp。 'This is my
father； and his health is a matter of the most
overwhelming importance to me。'
〃I was touched by this filial anxiety。 'You would；
perhaps； care to remain during the consultation？' said
I。
〃'Not for the world；' he cr