The sign of the four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
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chapter 1, the science of deduction.
Sherlock Holmes, took his bottle from the corner of the
mantelpiece and his hypodermic syringe from.
It's neat, Morocco case with his long, white nervous fingers.
He adjusted the delicate needle and rolled back, his left shirt
cuff for some little time. His eyes rested thoughtfully
upon the sinewy, forearm and wrist all dotted and scarred
with innumerable puncture marks. Finally, he thrust the sharp
Point home, press down the tiny piston and sank back into the
velvet-lined armchair with a long sigh of satisfaction three
times a day for many months. I had witnessed his performance,
but custom had not reconciled my mind to it on the contrary from
day to day. I had become more irritable at
the site and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the
thought that I had lacked the courage to protest.
East again. And again, I had registered a
vowel that I should deliver my soul upon the subject but there
was that in the cool nonchalant are of my companion, which made
him the last man with whom one would care to take anything
approaching to a liberty. His great Powers, his masterly
Manner and the experience, which I had had of his many
extraordinary qualities, all made me diffident and backward
in Crossing him yet. Upon that afternoon, whether it
was the bone, which I had taken with my lunch or the additional
exasperation produced by the extreme deliberation of his
manner. I suddenly felt that I could
hold out no longer. Which is it today?
I asked morphine or cocaine. He raised his eyes languidly
from the old black letter volume, which had opened.
It is cocaine. He said, a seven percent
solution. Would you care to try it?
No, indeed. I answered brusquely.
My Constitution has not got over the Afghan campaign yet.
I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it.
He smiled at my VM ants. Perhaps, you are right Watson.
He said, I suppose that its influence is physically a bad
one. I find it.
However, so transcendentally stimulating and clarifying, to
the mind that it's second, reaction is a matter of small
moment, but consider, I said earnestly count the cost.
Your brain may as you say, be roused and excited, but it is a
pathological. Jaclyn morbid process which
involves increased tissue change and May at last leave a
permanent weakness, you know, to what a black reaction comes upon
you. Surely the game is hardly worth
the candle. Why should you for a mere
passing pleasure risk? The loss of those great Powers
with which you have been endowed.
Remember that I speak. Not only as one comrade to
another, but as a medical man, 214, whose Constitution he is to
some extent answerable. He did not seem offended.
On the contrary, he put his fingertips together and leaned
his elbows. On the arms of his chair like
one who has a relish for conversation.
My mind. He says Rebels at stagnation.
Give me the problems. Give me work.
Give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate
analysis and I am in my own proper atmosphere.
I can dispense then with artificial stimulants.
But I uphold the dull routine of existence I crave for mental
exultation. That is why I have chosen.
My own particular profession or rather created it for.
I am the only one in the world. The only an official detective.
I said raising my eyebrows. The only unofficial Consulting
detective. He answered.
I am. The last and highest court of
appeal in detection, when Gregson, or lestrade, or
athelney Jones are out of their debts, which by the way, is
their normal State. The matter is laid, before me, I
examine the data as an expert and pronounce a Specialists
opinion. I claim no credit in such cases.
My name figures in no newspaper, the work itself, the pleasure of
finding a field for my peculiar Powers is my highest reward, but
you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work
in the Jefferson. Hope case.
Yes, indeed said, I called you lie.
I was never so struck by anything in my life.
I even embodied it in a small brush or with the somewhat
fantastic title of A study in Scarlet.
He shook his head. Sadly.
I glanced over. It said he honestly I cannot
congratulate you upon it detection is or ought to be an
exact science and should be treated in the same cold and
unemotional manner. You have attempted to tinge it
with Romanticism, which produces much the same effect.
As if you worked a love story or an elopement into the fifth
proposition of Euclid, but there are It was there.
I remonstrated I could not tamper with the facts.
Some facts should be suppressed or at least a just sense of
proportion should be observed in treating them.
The only point in the case, which deserved mention was the
Curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which
I succeeded and unraveling it. I was annoyed at his criticism
of a work which had been especially designed to please
him. I confess to that.
I was irritated by the egotism, which seemed to demand that
every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special
doings more than once during the years that I had lived with him
in Baker Street. I had observed that a small
vanity and the lay my companions, quiet and didactic
manner. I make no remark.
However, but sat nursing my wounded leg.
I had a jezail bullet through it some time before and though it
did not prevent me from walking. It 8, we really at every change
of the weather. My practice has extended
recently to the continent. So the homes after a while,
filling up his old Briar route pipe.
I was consulted last week by France, while of er, who as you
probably know. Has come rather to the front
lately in the French detective service.
He has all the Celtic power of quick intuition, but he is
deficient in the wide range of exact knowledge, which is
essential to the higher developments of his art.
The case was concerned with a will and possess some features
of Interest. I was able to refer him to two
parallel cases the one at Riga in 1857 and the other at st.
Louis in In 71, which has suggested to him.
The true solution here is the letter which I had this morning
acknowledging. My assistance.
He tossed over as he spoke a crumpled sheet of foreign
notepaper. I glanced my eyes down, it
catching a profusion of notes of admiration, with stray,
Magnifique coup de mettre, and tour-de-force all testifying to
the Ardent. Admiration of the Frenchman.
He speaks as a pupil to his master said, I oh, he rates my
assistants to highly said, Sherlock Holmes, likely.
He has considerable gifts himself.
He possesses two of the three qualities.
Necessary. For the ideal detective.
He has the power of observation and that of deduction.
He is only wanting in knowledge and that may come in time.
He is now translating my small Works into French.
Your works. Oh, didn't you know he cried
laughing? Ha?
Yes. I have been guilty of several
monographs. They are all upon technical
subjects. Here.
For example, is one upon the distinction between the ashes of
the various tobacco's in it. I enumerate 140 forms of cigar
cigarette and pipe tobacco, with colored plates, illustrating the
difference, in the ash. It is a point which is
continually turning up in criminal trials and which is
sometimes of supreme importance as a clue.
If you can say definitely. For example that some murder has
been done by a man who was smoking an Indian Lanka, it
obviously Narrows your field of search to the trained eye.
There is as much difference between the black ash of a
chicken, ah, Polly and the white fluff of birds eye as there is
between a cabbage and a potato. You have an extraordinary genius
for my new shy. I remarked.
I appreciate their importance. Here is my monograph upon the
tracing of footsteps with some remarks upon the users of
plaster of Paris. As a preserver of impresses
here, to is a curious, little work upon the influence of a
trade, upon the form of the hand, with litho types of the
hands of Slater's Sailors, Court Cutters, compositors, Weaver's
and diamond. Polishes.
That is a matter of great practical interest to the
scientific detective especially in cases of unclaimed bodies or
in discovering the antecedents of criminals, but I weary you
with my hobby. Not at all.
I answered. Honestly.
It is of the greatest interest to me, especially since I've had
the opportunity of observing your practical application of
it. But you spoke just now of
observation and deduction, surely the one to some extent,
implies the other. Why hardly, he answered leaning
back luxuriously in his armchair and sending up thick blue
wreaths from his pipe. For example, observation shows
me that you have been to the Wigmore Street post office this
morning, but deduction, lets me know that when they're you
dispatched a telegram. Right?
Said I write on both points, but I confess that I don't see how
you arrived at it. It was a sudden impulse on my
part and I have mentioned it to no one.
It is Simplicity itself. He remarked chuckling at my
surprise. So absurdly simple that an
explanation is Superfluous and yet it may serve to define the
limits of observation and of deduction.
Observation tells me that you A little reddish mold adhering to
your instep. Just opposite.
The Seymour Street office. They have taken up the pavement
and thrown up some Earth, which lies in such a way that it is
difficult to avoid. Trading it in entering the Earth
is of this peculiar reddish tint, which is found.
As far as I know nowhere else in the neighborhood so much is
observation. The rest is deduction.
How then did you deduce the telegram?
Why. Of course, I knew that you had
not written a letter. Since I sat opposite to you all
morning. I see also in your open desk
there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of
postcards. What could you go into the post
office for then? But to send a wire eliminate all
other factors and the one which remains must be the truth.
In this case, it certainly is so I replied after a little
thought. The thing, however, is, as you
say of the simplest, would you think me impertinent if I were
to put your theories to a more severe test on the contrary?
He answered it would prevent me from taking a second dose of
cocaine. I should be delighted to look
into any problem, which you might submit to me.
I've heard you say that it's difficult for a man to have any
object in daily, use without leaving the impress of his
individuality upon it in such. Way, there's a trained.
Observer might read it. Now.
I have here a watch, which has recently come into my
possession. Would you have the kindness to?
Let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late
owner? I handed him over the watch,
with some slight feeling of movement.
In my heart for the test was, as I thought an impossible one and
I intended it as a lesson against a somewhat dogmatic
tone, which he occasionally assumed he balanced the watch in
his hand, gazed hard at the dial opened the back and examined,
the works first with his naked eyes, and then with a powerful
convex lens. I could hardly keep from smiling
at his crestfallen face when he finally snapped the case to and
handed it back. There are hardly any data.
He remarked the watch has been recently cleaned which Rob's me
of my most suggestive facts. You're right.
I answered it was clean before being sent to me in my heart.
I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and
impotent excuse to cover his failure.
What data could you expect from an uncleaned watch?
Though. Unsatisfactory.
My research has not been entirely Baron.
He observed staring up at the ceiling with dreamy lackluster,
eyes subject to your correction. I should judge that the watch
belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your
father. That you gather no doubt from
the HW on the back quite. So the W suggest your own name,
the date of the watch is nearly 50 years back and the initials
are as old as the watch. So it was made for the last
generation jewelry. Usually descends to the eldest
son, and he is most likely to have the same name as the
father. Your father has, if I remember
right. Been dead many years.
It has therefore been in the hands.
I love you. I eldest brother.
Right? So far said, I anything else.
He was a man of untidy habits very untidy and careless.
He was left with good prospects, but he threw away.
His chance has lived for some time in poverty with occasional
short intervals of prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he
died. That is all I can gather.
I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the
room with considerable bitterness in my heart.
This is Unworthy of you Holmes. I said, I could not have
believed that you would have descended to this.
You have made inquiries into the history of my unhappy brother
and you now pretend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful
way. You cannot expect me to believe
that you've read all this from his old watch.
It is unkind and to speak. Plainly has a touch of charlatan
is a minute. My dear doctor said he kindly
pray, accept my apologies viewing, the matter as an
abstract problem. I had forgotten how personal and
painful thing. It might be to you.
I assure you. However, as I never even knew
that you had a brother until you handed me the watch.
Then how in the name of all, this is wonderful.
Did you get these facts are absolutely correct in every
particular. Our, that is good luck.
I could only say what was the balance of probability?
I did not at all expect to be so accurate, but it was not me a
guesswork. No.
No, I never guess. It is a shocking habit
destructive to The Logical faculty.
What seems strange to you? Is only so because you do not
follow my train of thought or observe.
The small facts upon which large inferences may depend.
For example, I began by stating that your brother was careless.
When You observe the lower part of that watch case you notice
that it is not only dented in two places, but it is cut and
marked all over from the habit of keeping other hard objects,
such as keys or coins in the same pocket.
Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats a
fifty-guinea watch. So cavalierly must be a
careless, man. Neither.
Is it a very far-fetched inference that a man who
inherits one article of such value is pretty well.
Provided for, in other respects. I nodded to show that I followed
his reasoning. It is very customary for
Pawnbrokers in England. When they take a watch to
scratch the number of the ticket with a pinpoint upon the inside
of the case. It is more handy than a label as
there is no risk of the number being lost or transposed.
There are no less than four such numbers visible to my lens on
the inside of this case inference that your brother was
often at low water. Secondary inference that he had
occasional bursts of prosperity or he could not have redeemed a
pledge. Finally.
I ask you to look at the inner plate, which contains the
keyhole. Look at the thousands of
scratches all round. The whole marks were the key has
slipped. What sober?
Man's key could have scored those grooves, but you will
never see a drunkards watch without them.
He wins it at night and he leaves these traces of his
unsteady. Where is the mystery in all
this? It is clear as daylight.
I answered. I regret the Injustice, which I
did you. I should have had more faith in
your marvelous. Faculty.
May. I ask whether you have any
professional inquiry on foot at present?
None, hence, the cocaine. I cannot live without brain
work. What else is there to live for
stand at the window? Here was ever such a dreary
dismal unprofitable world. See how the yellow fog swirls
down the street and drifts, across the dun-coloured houses.
What could be more hopelessly? Prosaic and material.
What is the use of having powers doctor?
When one has no field upon which to exert them crime is Common
Place? His existence is commonplace and
no qualities. Say those which are commonplace
have any function upon Earth. I had opened my mouth to reply
to this charade when with a crisp, knock our landlady,
entered bearing a card upon the breast Salva.
A young lady for you, sir. She said addressing my
companion. Miss Mary.
Morstan, he read. Hmm.
I have no recollection of the name.
Ask the young lady to step up. Mrs. Hudson.
Don't go doctor. I should prefer that you remain.
End of chapter 1.