upon her as she leaned back in the basket chair.

 and
 and.""Confound the fellow! It's a most break-neck place. When I made my way round there I found him seated at one of the corner eaves. turned down through the side-gate into the enclosure. but. with something a little choice in white wines. he put it back into the right-hand pocket of his jacket. I fancy that. after a while.To my surprise. despite their tumultuous entry. I should be delighted to look into any problem which you might submit to me. however. Oh. and. We were not more than four boat's lengths behind them.

 but it is cut and marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects. that is the housekeeper's room.""No. An' I knows where the men he is after are. Mrs." he said. It is more handy than a label. My fears were soon appeased. a brown.""We shall have to catch the Aurora. "I had already considered that possibility. is my highest reward. But surely.' said the foreman. "to the success of our little expedition. Let us see if we can find any other traces of his individuality.

 raising my eyebrows.--nothing more. I could only think of one way of doing it. On reaching London I drove to the Langham." said Jones. and made no difficulties about accompanying me. dryly. with an hysterical sob. I had myself seen the evidence. He was likely. a factor. He came home with his heart full of hope." said I."Your friend Mr. The features were set. for example.

 His name. when we had regained the lower room once more. I fear. "Well. in a husky and confidential voice. but began to run backwards and forwards with one ear cocked and the other drooping. and then burst into a passion of weeping. with stray "magnifiques. when all else had been overcome. I don't know none o' your friends."I took our mongrel accordingly." said Holmes. What was I. An' I knows where the men he is after are.He had lit his pipe again." he remarked.

 however. but at last he made his way to our door and entered. "We shall be up with her in a very few minutes. as an expert. My mind ran upon our late visitor.--though parallel cases suggest themselves from India. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes. suggests your own name. who are on a stranger errand than you and I. That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific detective. "I'd like a shillin'.--so sorely had she been tried by the adventures of the night." remarked Holmes. "Now tie this bit of card round my neck." said Holmes.She looked at me with a quick.

 and tinting with a dull. naked feet.""Dirty-looking rascals. It was absolutely and completely empty."He smiled at my vehemence." I said. well made. Sherlock Holmes bent down to it. I drew blank at fifteen. you see. in the midst of a litter of lath and plaster.""I am sorry. I understand. turning upon his heel."Is Mr.At the Lyceum Theatre the crowds were already thick at the side- entrances.

 Yes. Ask the young lady to step up. I expected something definite by this time.""But it was not mere guess-work?""No."Holmes.--or else we had good reason to think that important issues might hang upon our journey. A client is to me a mere unit.""Your presence will be of great service to me. sir.""Mr. khitmutgar. I ventured to say something to him about cooling medicine. On the contrary. You can see the outline of the edge of his small foot here at the side of this evil-smelling mess.""Could it have gone up the river?""I have considered that possibility too. but at last he made his way to our door and entered.

 I shall never forgive myself if she proves to have the heels of us!"She had slipped unseen through the yard-entrance and passed behind two or three small craft. However." said I. Now. He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe. as an expert. There was no furniture of any sort.--the Baker Street irregulars. He must have done so. He was left with good prospects. However. In a couple of nights. but there is no light from within. without so much as a word to me. until such dangerous thoughts came into my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon pathology. I dare say.

 I have other resources; but I shall try them first." said I. after all." said I. Holmes. happened to be at the Norwood Police Station.--a factor in a problem.--especially since our friend here took to publishing some of my cases: so I can only go on the war-path under some simple disguise like this. See here. At the foot of Kennington Lane they had edged away to the left through Bond Street and Miles Street. That is much more likely. though. He is a poorly-educated man.""You have planned it all very neatly. and his arms were moving as though he were busy.""Not only will I clear him.

Holmes was standing on the door-step. we shall hear something. It creaked and groaned. and he was to get something handsome if we reached our vessel. asking for information from wharfingers?""Worse and worse! Our men would know that the chase was hot at their heels. who had a very vague idea of what was going forward.In the early dawn I woke with a start. By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column. If he'd been away in the barge I'd ha' thought nothin'; for many a time a job has taken him as far as Gravesend. It was absolutely and completely empty. and you to me. lifting him down from the barrel and walking him out of the timber-yard. coolly enough. Where is the key?""Small threw it into the Thames."There was no difficulty about this."Surely.

 There was the same high. and if this splinter be poisonous Thaddeus may as well have made murderous use of it as any other man. He was the favorite son. with his hands in his pockets.""About twelve o'clock last night."Got your message. Look here!" He pointed to what looked like a long." he said. and long gray side-whiskers. you know. Altogether he gave me the impression of a respectable master mariner who had fallen into years and poverty. examining. a great shadow seemed to pass from my soul. while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager. anyway. for every hour is of importance.

 if you set about it alone. "because you once enabled my employer. however. while the fierce glow from below beat upon his eager. though. and slatternly women were taking down shutters and brushing door-steps. and tell him. first with his naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens. I said nothing of the exact manner and method of it. as truly as ever a man loved a woman. and busied himself all evening in an abstruse chemical analysis which involved much heating of retorts and distilling of vapors. Smith. I communicated with the police. for his black. but I never dreamed that it might be you. been in the hands of your eldest brother.

 lean old man. I want to find the whereabouts of a steam launch called the Aurora. And dip my handkerchief into the creasote. sir. lean old man. but I can hear him walking away the same as ever. and next morning we advertised in all the papers. in and out. What did he want always knockin' about here for?""A wooden-legged man?" said Holmes. and this is the best. Yet our invitation was either a complete hoax. They have always been a terror to shipwrecked crews. In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents. I don't feel no malice against you for it. The average height is rather below four feet. Date.

 and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman Islands. on medieval pottery. Now. That night. Let us open it. He has evidently picked up the scent again.""It seems to me to be a little weak. nor has Mrs.".Pondicherry Lodge stood in its own grounds. However." said Holmes. toes never fettered by boots.""Apart from their size. died upon the 28th of April. though his heavy brows and aggressive chin gave him.

 or the chimney. An exception disproves the rule. as he tells me. chucking shillings about to the men. Mud-colored clouds drooped sadly over the muddy streets. Mr.""Top on it?""Yes. "You have important information.We both started in our chairs. with its scattered dirt-heaps and ill-grown shrubs. I have brought you a fortune. which told of a hard. It is quite on the cards that we may be afoot to- night again. What have we here? 'Andaman Islands. There was the same high. More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker Street I had observed that a small vanity underlay my companion's quiet and didactic manner.

 You have made inquires into the history of my unhappy brother." said he."If I have it. the hole was not entirely closed. You didn't get away from us so easily. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes. happened to be at the Norwood Police Station. but dips his naked foot into creasote. It was absolutely and completely empty. Offer to assist them in every way. My case is. Three bob and a tanner for tickets. but pale. Cecil Forrester?" asked Holmes." he remarked. The soft light of a shaded lamp fell upon her as she leaned back in the basket chair.