elapt1c/ElapticAI-512 · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 149M

“Try the settee, said Holmes, relapsing into his armchair and putting
his fingertips together, as was his custom when in judicial moods. “I
know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and
outside the conventions and humdrum routine of everyday life. You have
shown your relish for it by the enthusiasm which has prompted you to
chronicle, and, if you will excuse my saying so, somewhat to embellish
so many of my own little adventures.

“Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me, I
observed.

“You will remember that I remarked the other day, just before we went
into the very simple problem presented by Miss Mary Sutherland, that
for strange effects and extraordinary combinations we must go to life
itself, which is always far more daring than any effort of the
imagination.

“A proposition which I took the liberty of doubting.

“You did, Doctor, but none the less you must come round to my view, for
otherwise I shall keep on piling fact upon fact on you until your
reason breaks down under them and acknowledges me to be right. Now, Mr.
Jabez Wilson here has been good enough to call upon me this morning,
and to begin a narrative which promises to be one of the most singular
which I have listened to for some time. You have heard me remark that
the strangest and most unique things are very often connected not with
the larger but with the smaller crimes, and occasionally, indeed, where
there is room for doubt whether any positive crime has been committed.
As far as I have heard, it is impossible for me to say whether the
present case is an instance of crime or not, but the course of events
is certainly among the most singular that I have ever listened to.
Perhaps, Mr. Wilson, you would have the great kindness to recommence
your narrative. I ask you not merely because my friend Dr. Watson has
not heard the opening part but also because the peculiar nature of the
story makes me anxious to have every possible detail from your lips. As
a rule, when I have heard some slight indication of the course of
events, I am able to guide myself by the thousands of other similar
cases which occur to my memory. In the present instance I am forced to
admit that the facts are, to the best of my belief, unique.

The portly client puffed out his chest with an appearance of some
little pride and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the inside
pocket of his greatcoat. As he glanced down the advertisement column,
with his head thrust forward and the paper flattened out upon his knee,
I took a good look at the man and endeavoured, after the fashion of my
companion, to read the indications which might be presented by his
dress or appearance.

I did not gain very much, however, by my inspection. Our visitor bore
every mark of being an average commonplace British tradesman, obese,
pompous, and slow. He wore rather baggy grey shepherd’s check trousers,
a not over-clean black frock-coat, unbuttoned in the front, and a drab
waistcoat with a heavy brassy Albert chain, and a square pierced bit of
metal dangling down as an ornament. A frayed top-hat and a faded brown
overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him.
Altogether, look as I would, there was nothing remarkable about the man
save his blazing red head, and the expression of extreme chagrin and
discontent upon his features.

Sherlock Holmes’ quick eye took in my occupation, and he shook his head
with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances. “Beyond the obvious
facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff,
that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done
a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else.

Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger upon the
paper, but his eyes upon my companion.

“How, in the name of good-fortune, did you know all that, Mr. Holmes?
he asked. “How did you know, for example, that I did manual labour.
It’s as true as gospel, for I began as a ship’s carpenter.

“Your hands, my dear sir. Your right hand is quite a size larger than
your left. You have worked with it, and the muscles are more
developed.

“Well, the snuff, then, and the Freemasonry?

“I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that,
especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order, you use
an arc-and-compass breastpin.

“Ah, of course, I forgot that. But the writing?

“What else can be indicated by that right cuff so very shiny for five
inches, and the left one with the smooth patch near the elbow where you
rest it upon the desk?

“Well, but China?

“The fish that you have tattooed immediately above your right wrist
could only have been done in China. I have made a small study of tattoo
marks and have even contributed to the literature of the subject. That
trick of staining the fishes’ scales of a delicate pink is quite
peculiar to China. When, in addition, I see a Chinese coin hanging from
your watch-chain, the matter becomes even more simple.

Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. “Well, I never! said he. “I thought
at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was

“Try the settee, said Holmes, relapsing into his armchair and putting

his fingertips together, as was his custom when in judicial moods. “I

know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and

outside the conventions and humdrum routine of everyday life. You have

shown your relish for it by the enthusiasm which has prompted you to

chronicle, and, if you will excuse my saying so, somewhat to embellish

so many of my own little adventures.

“Your cases have indeed been of the greatest interest to me, I

observed.

“You will remember that I remarked the other day, just before we went

into the very simple problem presented by Miss Mary Sutherland, that

for strange effects and extraordinary combinations we must go to life

itself, which is always far more daring than any effort of the

imagination.

“A proposition which I took the liberty of doubting.

“You did, Doctor, but none the less you must come round to my view, for

otherwise I shall keep on piling fact upon fact on you until your

reason breaks down under them and acknowledges me to be right. Now, Mr.

Jabez Wilson here has been good enough to call upon me this morning,

and to begin a narrative which promises to be one of the most singular

which I have listened to for some time. You have heard me remark that

the strangest and most unique things are very often connected not with

the larger but with the smaller crimes, and occasionally, indeed, where

there is room for doubt whether any positive crime has been committed.

As far as I have heard, it is impossible for me to say whether the

present case is an instance of crime or not, but the course of events

is certainly among the most singular that I have ever listened to.

Perhaps, Mr. Wilson, you would have the great kindness to recommence

your narrative. I ask you not merely because my friend Dr. Watson has

not heard the opening part but also because the peculiar nature of the

story makes me anxious to have every possible detail from your lips. As

a rule, when I have heard some slight indication of the course of

events, I am able to guide myself by the thousands of other similar

cases which occur to my memory. In the present instance I am forced to

admit that the facts are, to the best of my belief, unique.

The portly client puffed out his chest with an appearance of some

little pride and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the inside

pocket of his greatcoat. As he glanced down the advertisement column,

with his head thrust forward and the paper flattened out upon his knee,

I took a good look at the man and endeavoured, after the fashion of my

companion, to read the indications which might be presented by his

dress or appearance.

I did not gain very much, however, by my inspection. Our visitor bore

every mark of being an average commonplace British tradesman, obese,

pompous, and slow. He wore rather baggy grey shepherd’s check trousers,

a not over-clean black frock-coat, unbuttoned in the front, and a drab

waistcoat with a heavy brassy Albert chain, and a square pierced bit of

metal dangling down as an ornament. A frayed top-hat and a faded brown

overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him.

Altogether, look as I would, there was nothing remarkable about the man

save his blazing red head, and the expression of extreme chagrin and

discontent upon his features.

Sherlock Holmes’ quick eye took in my occupation, and he shook his head

with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances. “Beyond the obvious

facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff,

that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done

a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else.

Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger upon the

paper, but his eyes upon my companion.

“How, in the name of good-fortune, did you know all that, Mr. Holmes?

he asked. “How did you know, for example, that I did manual labour.

It’s as true as gospel, for I began as a ship’s carpenter.

“Your hands, my dear sir. Your right hand is quite a size larger than

your left. You have worked with it, and the muscles are more

developed.

“Well, the snuff, then, and the Freemasonry?

“I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that,

especially as, rather against the strict rules of your order, you use

an arc-and-compass breastpin.

“Ah, of course, I forgot that. But the writing?

“What else can be indicated by that right cuff so very shiny for five

inches, and the left one with the smooth patch near the elbow where you

rest it upon the desk?

“Well, but China?

“The fish that you have tattooed immediately above your right wrist

could only have been done in China. I have made a small study of tattoo

marks and have even contributed to the literature of the subject. That

trick of staining the fishes’ scales of a delicate pink is quite

peculiar to China. When, in addition, I see a Chinese coin hanging from

your watch-chain, the matter becomes even more simple.

Mr. Jabez Wilson laughed heavily. “Well, I never! said he. “I thought

at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was