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〃I have not yet described to you the most singular part。 About six
years agoto be exact； upon the 4th of May； 1882an advertisement
appeared in the Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan and
stating that it would be to her advantage to come forward。 There was no
name or address appended。 I had at that time just entered the family of
Mrs。 Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess。 By her advice I
published my address in the advertisement column。 The same day there
arrived through the post a small card…board box addressed to me； which I
found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl。 No word of writing was
enclosed。 Since then every year upon the same date there has always
appeared a similar box； containing a similar pearl； without any clue as to
the sender。 They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare
variety and of considerable value。 You can see for yourselves that they
are very handsome。〃 She opened a flat box as she spoke； and showed me
six of the finest pearls that I had ever seen。
〃Your statement is most interesting；〃 said Sherlock Holmes。 〃Has
anything else occurred to you？〃
〃Yes； and no later than to…day。 That is why I have come to you。
This morning I received this letter； which you will perhaps read for
yourself。〃
〃Thank you；〃 said Holmes。 〃The envelope too； please。 Postmark；
London； S。W。 Date； July 7。 Hum！ Man's thumb…mark on corner；
probably postman。 Best quality paper。 Envelopes at sixpence a packet。
Particular man in his stationery。 No address。 'Be at the third pillar from
the left outside the Lyceum Theatre to… night at seven o'clock。 If you are
distrustful； bring two friends。 You are a wronged woman； and shall have
justice。 Do not bring police。 If you do； all will be in vain。 Your
unknown friend。' Well； really； this is a very pretty little mystery。 What
do you intend to do； Miss Morstan？〃
〃That is exactly what I want to ask you。〃
〃Then we shall most certainly go。 You and I andyes； why； Dr。
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Watson is the very man。 Your correspondent says two friends。 He and I
have worked together before。〃
〃But would he come？〃 she asked； with something appealing in her
voice and expression。
〃I should be proud and happy；〃 said I； fervently； 〃if I can be of any
service。〃
〃You are both very kind；〃 she answered。 〃I have led a retired life；
and have no friends whom I could appeal to。 If I am here at six it will do；
I suppose？〃
〃You must not be later；〃 said Holmes。 〃There is one other point；
however。 Is this handwriting the same as that upon the pearl…box
addresses？〃
〃I have them here；〃 she answered； producing half a dozen pieces of
paper。
〃You are certainly a model client。 You have the correct intuition。
Let us see； now。〃 He spread out the papers upon the table； and gave little
darting glances from one to the other。 〃They are disguised hands； except
the letter；〃 he said； presently； 〃but there can be no question as to the
authorship。 See how the irrepressible Greek e will break out； and see the
twirl of the final s。 They are undoubtedly by the same person。 I should
not like to suggest false hopes； Miss Morstan； but is there any resemblance
between this hand and that of your father？〃
〃Nothing could be more unlike。〃
〃I expected to hear you say so。 We shall look out for you； then； at six。
Pray allow me to keep the papers。 I may look into the matter before then。
It is only half…past three。 Au revoir； then。〃
〃Au revoir；〃 said our visitor； and； with a bright； kindly glance from one
to the other of us； she replaced her pearl…box in her bosom and hurried
away。 Standing at the window； I watched her walking briskly down the
street； until the gray turban and white feather were but a speck in the
sombre crowd。
〃What a very attractive woman！〃 I exclaimed； turning to my
companion。
He had lit his pipe again； and was leaning back with drooping eyelids。
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〃Is she？〃 he said； languidly。 〃I did not observe。〃
〃You really are an automaton；a calculating…machine！〃 I cried。
〃There is something positively inhuman in you at times。〃
He smiled gently。 〃It is of the first importance；〃 he said； 〃not to
allow your judgment to be biased by personal qualities。 A client is to me
a mere unit；a factor in a problem。 The emotional qualities are
antagonistic to clear reasoning。 I assure you that the most winning
woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their
insurance…money； and the most repellant man of my acquaintance is a
philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London
poor。〃
〃In this case； however〃
〃I never make exceptions。 An exception disproves the rule。 Have
you ever had occasion to study character in handwriting？ What do you
make of this fellow's scribble？〃
〃It is legible and regular；〃 I answered。 〃A man of business habits and
some force of character。〃
〃Holmes shook his head。 〃Look at his long letters；〃 he said。 〃They
hardly rise above the common herd。 That d might be an a； and that l an e。
Men of character always differentiate their long letters； however illegibly
they may write。 There is vacillation in his k's and self…esteem in his
capitals。 I am going out now。 I have some few references to make。
Let me recommend this book；one of the most remarkable ever penned。
It is Winwood Reade's 'Martyrdom of Man。' I shall be back in an hour。〃
I sat in the window with the volume in my hand； but my thoughts were
far from the daring speculations of the writer。 My mind ran upon our late
visitor；her smiles； the deep rich tones of her voice； the strange mystery
which overhung her life。 If she were seventeen at the time of her father's
disappearance she must be seven…and…twenty now；a sweet age； when
youth has lost its self… consciousness and become a little sobered by
experience。 So I sat and mused； until such dangerous thoughts came into
my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the
latest treatise upon pathology。 What was I； an army surgeon with a weak
leg and a weaker banking…account； that I should dare to think of such
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things？ She was a unit； a factor；nothing more。 If my future were
black； it was better surely to face it like a man than to attempt to brighten
it by mere will…o'…the…wisps of the imagination。
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CHAPTER III In Quest of a
Solution
It was half…past five before Holmes returned。 He was bright； eager；
and in excellent spirits；a mood which in his case alternated with fits of
the blackest depression。
〃There is no great mystery in this matter；〃 he said； taking the cup of
tea which I had poured out for him。 〃The facts appear to admit of only
one explanation。〃
〃What！ you have solved it already？〃
〃Well； that would be too much to say。 I have discovered a suggestive
fact； that is all。 It is； however； VERY suggestive。 The details are still to
be added。 I have just found； on consulting t