<s> FINALLY HAVING DRAWN EVERY OTHER COVER AND PICKED UP NO SCENT I TRIED MY LUCK WITH THE HOUSEKEEPER </s><s> MRS. LEXINGTON IS HER NAME A LITTLE DARK SILENT PERSON WITH SUSPICIOUS AND SIDELONG EYES </s><s> SHE COULD TELL US SOMETHIRIG IF SHE WOULD I AM CONVINCED OF IT </s><s> BUT SHE WAS AS CLOSE AS WAX </s><s> YES SHE HAD LET MR. MCFARLANE IN AT HALF PAST NINE </s><s> SHE WISHED HER HAND HAD WITHERED BEFORE SHE HAD DONE SO </s><s> SHE HAD GONE TO BED AT HALF PAST TEN </s><s> HER ROOM WAS AT THE OTHER END OF THE HOUSE AND SHE COULD HEAR NOTHING OF WHAT PASSED </s><s> MR. MCFARLANE HAD LEFT HIS HAT AND TO THE BEST OF HER BELIEF HIS STICK IN THE HALL </s><s> SHE HAD BEEN AWAKENED BY THE ALARM OF FIRE </s><s> HER POOR DEAR MASTER HAD CERTAINLY BEEN MURDERED </s><s> HAD HE ANY ENEMIES </s><s> WELL EVERY MAN HAD ENEMIES BUT MR. OLDACRE KEPT HIMSELF VERY MUCH TO HIMSELF AND ONLY MET PEOPLE IN THE WAY OF BUSINESS </s><s> SHE HAD SEEN THE BUTTONS AND WAS SURE THAT THEY BELONGED TO THE CLOTHES WHICH HE HAD WORN LAST NIGHT </s><s> THE WOOD PILE WAS VERY DRY FOR IT HAD NOT RAINED FOR A MONTH </s><s> IT BURNED LIKE TINDER AND BY THE TIME SHE REACHED THE SPOT NOTHING COULD BE SEEN BUT FLAMES </s><s> SHE AND ALL THE FIREMEN SMELLED THE BURNED FLESH FROM INSIDE IT </s><s> SHE KNEW NOTHING OF THE PAPERS NOR OF MR. OLDACRE'S PRIVATE AFFAIRS </s><s> SO MY DEAR WATSON THERE'S MY REPORT OF A FAILURE </s><s> AND YET AND YET HE CLENCHED HIS THIN HANDS IN A PAROXYSM OF CONVICTION I KNOW IT'S ALL WRONG </s><s> I FEEL IT IN MY BONES </s><s> THERE IS SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT COME OUT AND THAT HOUSEKEEPER KNOWS IT </s><s> THERE WAS A SORT OF SULKY DEFIANCE IN HER EYES WHICH ONLY GOES WITH GUILTY KNOWLEDGE </s><s> HOWEVER THERE'S NO GOOD TALKING ANY MORE ABOUT IT WATSON BUT UNLESS SOME LUCKY CHANCE COMES OUR WAY I FEAR THAT THE NORWOOD DISAPPEARANCE CASE WILL NOT FIGURE IN THAT CHRONICLE OF OUR SUCCESSES WHICH I FORESEE THAT A PATIENT PUBLIC WILL SOONER OR LATER HAVE TO ENDURE QUOTE </s><s> SURELY SAID I THE MAN'S APPEARANCE WOULD GO FAR WITH ANY JURY </s><s> THAT IS A DANGEROUS ARGUMENT MY DEAR WATSON </s><s> YOU REMEMBER THAT TERRIBLE MURDERER BERT STEVENS WHO WANTED US TO GET HIM OFF IN EIGHTY SEVEN </s><s> WAS THERE EVER A MORE MILD MANNERED SUNDAY SCHOOL YOUNG MAN </s><s> IT IS TRUE </s><s> UNLESS WE SUCCEED IN ESTABLISHING AN ALTERNATIVE THEORY THIS MAN IS LOST </s><s> YOU CAN HARDLY FIND A FLAW IN THE CASE WHICH CAN NOW BE PRESENTED AGAINST HIM AND ALL FURTHER INVESTIGATION HAS SERVED TO STRENGTHEN IT </s><s> BY THE WAY THERE IS ONE CURIOUS LITTLE POINT ABOUT THOSE PAPERS WHICH MAY SERVE US AS THE STARTING POINT FOR AN INQUIRY </s><s> ON LOOKING OVER THE BANK BOOK I FOUND THAT THE LOW STATE OF THE BALANCE WAS PRINCIPALLY DUE TO LARGE CHECKS WHICH HAVE BEEN MADE OUT DURING THE LAST YEAR TO MR. CORNELIUS </s><s> I CONFESS THAT I SHOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHO THIS MR. CORNELIUS MAY BE WITH WHOM A RETIRED BUILDER HAS HAD SUCH VERY LARGE TRANSACTIONS </s><s> IS IT POSSIBLE THAT HE HAS HAD A HAND IN THE AFFAIR </s><s> CORNELIUS MIGHT BE A BROKER BUT WE HAVE FOUND NO SCRIP TO CORRESPOND WITH THESE LARGE PAYMENTS </s><s> FAILING ANY OTHER INDICATION MY RESEARCHES MUST NOW TAKE THE DIRECTION OF AN INQUIRY AT THE BANK FOR THE GENTLEMAN WHO HAS CASHED THESE CHECKS </s><s> BUT I FEAR MY DEAR FELLOW THAT OUR CASE WILL END INGLORIOUSLY BY LESTRADE HANGING OUR CLIENT WHICH WILL CERTAINLY BE A TRIUMPH FOR SCOTLAND YARD QUOTE </s><s> I DO NOT KNOW HOW FAR SHERLOCK HOLMES TOOK ANY SLEEP THAT NIGHT BUT WHEN I CAME DOWN TO BREAKFAST I FOUND HIM PALE AND HARASSED HIS BRIGHT EYES THE BRIGHTER FOR THE DARK SHADOWS ROUND THEM </s><s> THE CARPET ROUND HIS CHAIR WAS LITTERED WITH CIGARETTE ENDS AND WITH THE EARLY EDITIONS OF THE MORNING PAPERS </s><s> AN OPEN TELEGRAM LAY UPON THE TABLE </s><s> WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS WATSON HE ASKED TOSSING IT ACROSS </s><s> IT WAS FROM NORWOOD AND RAN AS FOLLOWS IMPORTANT FRESH EVIDENCE TO HAND </s><s> MCFARLANE'S GUILT DEFI NITELY ESTABLISHED </s><s> ADVISE YOU TO ABANDON CASE </s><s> LESTRADE </s><s> THIS SOUNDS SERIOUS SAID I </s><s> IT IS LESTRADE'S LITTLE COCK A DOODLE OF VICTORY HOLMES ANSWERED WITH A BITTER SMILE </s><s> AND YET IT MAY BE PREMATURE TO ABANDON THE CASE </s><s> AFTER ALL IMPORTANT FRESH EVIDENCE IS A TWOEDGED THING AND MAY POSSIBLY CUT IN A VERY DIFFERENT DIRECTION TO THAT WHICH LESTRADE IMAGINES </s><s> TAKE YOUR BREAKFAST WATSON AND WE WILL GO OUT TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO </s><s> I FEEL AS IF I SHALL NEED YOUR COMPANY AND YOUR MORAL SUPPORT TO DAY </s><s> MY FRIEND HAD NO BREAKFAST HIMSELF FOR IT WAS ONE OF HIS PECULIARITIES THAT IN HIS MORE INTENSE MOMENTS HE WOULD PERMIT HIMSELF NO FOOD AND I HAVE KNOWN HIM PRESUME UPON HIS IRON STRENGTH UNTIL HE HAS FAINTED FROM PURE INANITION </s><s> QUOTE AT PRESENT I CANNOT SPARE ENERGY AND NERVE FORCE FOR DIGESTION QUOTE HE WOULD SAY IN ANSWER TO MY MEDICAL REMONSTRANCES </s><s> I WAS NOT SURPRISED THEREFORE WHEN THIS MORNING HE LEFT HIS UNTOUCHED MEAL BEHIND HIM AND STARTED WITH ME FOR NORWOOD </s><s> A CROWD OF MORBID SIGHTSEERS WERE STILL GATHERED ROUND DEEP DENE HOUSE WHICH WAS JUST SUCH A SUBURBAN VILLA AS I HAD PICTURED </s><s> WITHIN THE GATES LESTRADE MET US HIS FACE FLUSHED WITH VICTORY HIS MANNER GROSSLY TRIUMPHANT </s><s> WELL MR. HOLMES HAVE YOU PROVED US TO BE WRONG YET </s><s> HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR TRAMP HE CRIED </s><s> I HAVE FORMED NO CONCLUSION WHATEVER MY COMPANION ANSWERED </s><s> BUT WE FORMED OURS YESTERDAY AND NOW IT PROVES TO BE CORRECT SO YOU MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE BEEN A LITTLE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS TIME MR. HOLMES </s><s> YOU CERTAINLY HAVE THE AIR OF SOMETHING UNUSUAL HAVING OCCURRED SAID HOLMES </s><s> LESTRADE LAUGHED LOUDLY </s><s> QUOTE YOU DON'T LIKE BEING BEATEN ANY MORE THAN THE REST OF US DO QUOTE SAID HE </s><s> A MAN CAN'T EXPECT ALWAYS TO HAVE IT HIS OWN WAY CAN HE DOCTOR WATSON </s><s> STEP THIS WAY IF YOU PLEASE GENTLEMEN AND I THINK I CAN CONVINCE YOU ONCE FOR ALL THAT IT WAS JOHN MCFARLANE WHO DID THIS CRIME </s><s> HE LED US THROUGH THE PASSAGE AND OUT INTO A DARK HALL BEYOND </s><s> THIS IS WHERE YOUNG MCFARLANE MUST HAVE COME OUT TO GET HIS HAT AFTER THE CRIME WAS DONE SAID HE </s><s> NOW LOOK AT THIS </s><s> WITH DRAMATIC SUDDENNESS HE STRUCK A MATCH AND BY ITS LIGHT EXPOSED A STAIN OF BLOOD UPON THE WHITEWASHED WALL </s><s> AS HE HELD THE MATCH NEARER I SAW THAT IT WAS MORE THAN A STAIN </s><s> IT WAS THE WELL MARKED PRINT OF A THUMB </s><s> LOOK AT THAT WITH YOUR MAGNIFYING GLASS MR. HOLMES </s><s> QUOTE YES I AM DOING SO QUOTE </s><s> YOU ARE AWARE THAT NO TWO THUMB MARKS ARE ALIKE </s><s> I HAVE HEARD SOMETHING OF THE KIND </s><s> WELL THEN WILL YOU PLEASE COMPARE THAT PRINT WITH THIS WAX IMPRESSION OF YOUNG MCFARLANE'S RIGHT THUMB TAKEN BY MY ORDERS THIS MORNING </s><s> AS HE HELD THE WAXEN PRINT CLOSE TO THE BLOOD STAIN IT DID NOT TAKE A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE THAT THE TWO WERE UNDOUBTEDLY FROM THE SAME THUMB </s><s> IT WAS EVIDENT TO ME THAT OUR UNFORTUNATE CLIENT WAS LOST </s><s> THAT IS FINAL SAID LESTRADE </s><s> YES THAT IS FINAL I INVOLUNTARILY ECHOED </s><s> QUOTE IT IS FINAL QUOTE SAID HOLMES </s><s> SOMETHING IN HIS TONE CAUGHT MY EAR AND I TURNED TO LOOK AT HIM </s><s> AN EXTRAORDINARY CHANGE HAD COME OVER HIS FACE </s><s> IT WAS WRITHING WITH INWARD MERRIMENT </s><s> HIS TWO EYES WERE SHINING LIKE STARS </s><s> IT SEEMED TO ME THAT HE WAS MAKING DESPERATE EFFORTS TO RESTRAIN A CONVULSIVE ATTACK OF LAUGHTER </s><s> DEAR ME </s><s> DEAR ME HE SAID AT LAST </s><s> WELL NOW WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT </s><s> AND HOW DECEPTIVE APPEARANCES MAY BE TO BE SURE </s><s> SUCH A NICE YOUNG MAN TO LOOK AT </s><s> IT IS A LESSON TO US NOT TO TRUST OUR OWN JUDGMENT IS IT NOT LESTRADE </s><s> YES SOME OF US ARE A LITTLE TOO MUCH INCLINED TO BE COCKSURE MR. HOLMES SAID LESTRADE </s><s> THE MAN'S INSOLENCE WAS MADDENING BUT WE COULD NOT RESENT IT </s><s> QUOTE WHAT A PROVIDENTIAL THING THAT THIS YOUNG MAN SHOULD PRESS HIS RIGHT THUMB AGAINST THE WALL IN TAKING HIS HAT FROM THE PEG </s><s> SUCH A VERY NATURAL ACTION TOO IF YOU COME TO THINK IF IT </s><s> HOLMES WAS OUTWARDLY CALM BUT HIS WHOLE BODY GAVE A WRIGGLE OF SUPPRESSED EXCITEMENT AS HE SPOKE </s><s> BY THE WAY LESTRADE WHO MADE THIS REMARKABLE DISCOVERY </s><s> IT WAS THE HOUSEKEEPER MRS. LEXINGTON WHO DREW THE NIGHT CONSTABLE'S ATTENTION TO IT </s><s> WHERE WAS THE NIGHT CONSTABLE </s><s> HE REMAINED ON GUARD IN THE BEDROOM WHERE THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED SO AS TO SEE THAT NOTHING WAS TOUCHED </s><s> QUOTE BUT WHY DIDN'T THE POLICE SEE THIS MARK YESTERDAY QUOTE </s><s> WELL WE HAD NO PARTICULAR REASON TO MAKE A CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE HALL </s><s> BESIDES IT'S NOT IN A VERY PROMINENT PLACE AS YOU SEE </s><s> NO NO OF COURSE NOT </s><s> I SUPPOSE THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE MARK WAS THERE YESTERDAY </s><s> LESTRADE LOOKED AT HOLMES AS IF HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING OUT OF HIS MIND </s><s> I CONFESS THAT I WAS MYSELF SURPRISED BOTH AT HIS HILARIOUS MANNER AND AT HIS' RATHER WILD OBSERVATION </s><s> I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU THINK THAT MCFARLANE CAME OUT OF JAIL IN THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN THE EVIDENCE AGAINST HIMSELF SAID LESTRADE </s><s> QUOTE I LEAVE IT TO ANY EXPERT IN THE WORLD WHETHER THAT IS NOT THE MARK OF HIS THUMB QUOTE </s><s> IT IS UNQUESTIONABLY THE MARK OF HIS THUMB </s><s> THERE THAT'S ENOUGH SAID LESTRADE </s><s> I AM A PRACTICAL MAN MR. HOLMES AND WHEN I HAVE GOT MY EVIDENCE I COME TO MY CONCLUSIONS </s><s> IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY YOU WILL FIND ME WRITING MY REPORT IN THE SITTING ROOM </s><s> HOLMES HAD RECOVERED HIS EQUANIMITY THOUGH I STILL SEEMED TO DETECT GLEAMS OF AMUSEMENT IN HIS EXPRESSION </s><s> DEAR ME THIS IS A VERY SAD DEVELOPMENT WATSON IS IT NOT SAID HE </s><s> QUOTE AND YET THERE ARE SINGULAR POINTS ABOUT IT WHICH HOLD OUT SOME HOPES FOR OUR CLIENT QUOTE </s><s> I AM DELIGHTED TO HEAR IT SAID I HEARTILY </s><s> I WAS AFRAID IT WAS ALL UP WITH HIM </s><s> I WOULD HARDLY GO SO FAR AS TO SAY THAT MY DEAR WATSON </s><s> THE FACT IS THAT THERE IS ONE REALLY SERIOUS FLAW IN THIS EVIDENCE TO WHICH OUR FRIEND ATTACHES SO MUCH IMPORTANCE </s><s> INDEED HOLMES </s><s> WHAT IS IT QUOTE </s><s> ONLY THIS THAT I KNOW THAT THAT MARK WAS NOT THERE WHEN I EXAMINED THE HALL YESTERDAY </s><s> AND NOW WATSON LET US HAVE A LITTLE STROLL ROUND IN THE SUNSHINE </s><s> WITH A CONFUSED BRAIN BUT WITH A HEART INTO WHICH SOME WARMTH OF HOPE WAS RETURNING I ACCOMPANIED MY FRIEND IN A WALK ROUND THE GARDEN </s><s> HOLMES TOOK EACH FACE OF THE HOUSE IN TURN AND EXAMINED IT WITH GREAT INTEREST </s><s> HE THEN LED THE WAY INSIDE AND WENT OVER THE WHOLE BUILDING FROM BASEMENT TO ATTIC </s><s> MOST OF THE ROOMS WERE UNFURNISHED BUT NONE THE LESS HOLMES INSPECTED THEM ALL MINUTELY </s><s> FINALLY ON THE TOP CORRIDOR WHICH RAN OUTSIDE THREE UNTENANTED BEDROOMS HE AGAIN WAS SEIZED WITH A SPASM OF MERRIMENT </s><s> THERE ARE REALLY SOME VERY UNIQUE FEATURES ABOUT THIS CASE WATSON SAID HE </s><s> I THINK IT IS TIME NOW THAT WE TOOK OUR FRIEND LESTRADE INTO OUR CONFIDENCE </s><s> HE HAS HAD HIS LITTLE SMILE AT OUR EXPENSE AND PERHAPS WE MAY DO AS MUCH BY HIM IF MY READING OF THIS PROBLEM PROVES TO BE CORRECT </s><s> YES YES I THINK I SEE HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH IT </s><s> THE SCOTLAND YARD INSPECTOR WAS STILL WRITING IN THE PARLOUR WHEN HOLMES INTERRUPTED HIM </s><s> QUOTE I UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU WERE WRITING A REPORT OF THIS CASE QUOTE SAID HE </s><s> SO I AM </s><s> DON'T YOU THINK IT MAY BE A LITTLE PREMATURE </s><s> I CAN'T HELP THINKING THAT YOUR EVIDENCE IS NOT COMPLETE </s><s> LESTRADE KNEW MY FRIEND TOO WELL TO DISREGARD HIS WORDS </s><s> HE LAID DOWN HIS PEN AND LOOKED CURIOUSLY AT HIM </s><s> WHAT DO YOU MEAN MR. HOLMES </s>