He was a solicitorand was using my room as a temporary convenience until his newpremises were ready. He moved out yesterday.'
"'Where could I find him?'
"'Oh, at his new offices. He did tell me the address. Yes, 17King Edward Street, near St. Paul's.'
"I started off, Mr. Holmes, but when I got to that address it wasa manufactory of artificial knee-caps, and no one in it had everheard of either Mr. William Morris or Mr. Duncan Ross."
"And what did you do then?" asked Holmes.
"I went home to Saxe-Coburg Square, and I took the advice of myassistant. But he could not help me in any way. He could only saythat if I waited I should hear by post. But that was not quitegood enough, Mr. Holmes. I did not wish to lose such a placewithout a struggle, so, as I had heard that you were good enoughto give advice to poor folk who were in need of it, I came rightaway to you."
"And you did very wisely," said Holmes. "Your case is anexceedingly remarkable one, and I shall be happy to look into it.From what you have told me I think that it is possible thatgraver issues hang from it than might at first sight appear."
"Grave enough!" said Mr. Jabez Wilson. "Why, I have lost fourpound a week."
"As far as you are personally concerned," remarked Holmes, "I donot see that you have any grievance against this extraordinaryleague. On the contrary, you are, as I understand, richer by some30 pounds, to say nothing of the minute knowledge which you havegained on every subject which comes under the letter A. You havelost nothing by them."
"No, sir. But I want to find out about them, and who they are,and what their object was in playing this prank--if it was aprank--upon me. It was a pretty expensive joke for them, for itcost them two and thirty pounds."
"We shall endeavour to clear up these points for you. And, first,one or two questions, Mr. Wilson. This assistant of yours whofirst called your attention to the advertisement--how long had hebeen with you?"
"About a month then."
"How did he come?"
"In answer to an advertisement."
"Was he the only applicant?"
"No, I had a dozen."
"Why did you pick him?"
"Because he was handy and would come cheap."
"At half-wages, in fact."
"Yes."
"What is he like, this Vincent Spaulding?"
"Small, stout-built, very quick in his ways, no hair on his face,though he's not short of thirty. Has a white splash of acid uponhis forehead."
Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement. "I thoughtas much," said he. "Have you ever observed that his ears arepierced for earrings?"
"Yes, sir. He told me that a gipsy had done it for him when hewas a lad."
"Hum!" said Holmes, sinking back in deep thought. "He is stillwith you?"
"Oh, yes, sir; I have only just left him."
"And has your business been attended to in your absence?"
"Nothing to complain of, sir. There's never very much to do of amorning."
"That will do, Mr. Wilson. I shall be happy to give you anopinion upon the subject in the course of a day or two. To-day isSaturday, and I hope that by Monday we may come to a conclusion."
"Well, Watson," said Holmes when our visitor had left us, "whatdo you make of it all?"
"I make nothing of it," I answered frankly. "It is a mostmysterious business."
"As a rule," said Holmes, "the more bizarre a thing is the lessmysterious it proves to be. It is your commonplace, featurelesscrimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face isthe most difficult to identify. But I must be prompt over thismatter."
"What are you going to do, then?" I asked.
"To smoke," he answered. "It is quite a three pipe problem, and Ibeg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes." He curledhimself up in his chair, with his thin knees drawn up to hishawk-like nose, and there he sat with his eyes closed and hisblack clay pipe thrusting out like the bill of some strange bird.I had come to the conclusion that he had dropped asleep, andindeed was nodding myself, when he suddenly sprang out of hischair with the gesture of a man who has made up his mind and puthis pipe down upon the mantelpiece.
"Sarasate plays at the St. James's Hall this afternoon," heremarked. "What do you think, Watson? Could your patients spareyou for a few hours?"
"I have nothing to do to-day. My practice is never veryabsorbing."
"Then put on your hat and come. I am going through the Cityfirst, and we can have some lunch on the way. I observe thatthere is a good deal of German music on the programme, which israther more to my taste than Italian or French. It isintrospective, and I want to introspect. Come along!"
We travelled by the Underground as far as Aldersgate; and a shortwalk took us to Saxe-Coburg Square, the scene of the singularstory which we had listened to in the morning. It was a poky,little, shabby-genteel place, where four lines of dingytwo-storied brick houses looked out into a small railed-inenclosure, where a lawn of weedy grass and a few clumps of fadedlaurel-bushes made a hard fight against a smoke-laden anduncongenial atmosphere. Three gilt balls and a brown board with"JABEZ WILSON" in white letters, upon a corner house, announcedthe place where our red-headed client carried on his business.Sherlock Holmes stopped in front of it with his head on one sideand looked it all over, with his eyes shining brightly betweenpuckered lids. Then he walked slowly up the street, and then downagain to the corner, still looking keenly at the houses. Finallyhe returned to the pawnbroker's, and, having thumped vigorouslyupon the pavement with his stick two or three times, he went upto the door and knocked. It was instantly opened by abright-looking, clean-shaven young fellow, who asked him to stepin.
"Thank you," said Holmes, "I only wished to ask you how you wouldgo from here to the Strand."
"Third right, fourth left," answered the assistant promptly,closing the door.
"Smart fellow, that," observed Holmes as we walked away. "He is,in my judgment, the fourth smartest man in London, and for daringI am not sure that he has not a claim to be third. I have knownsomething of him before."
"Evidently," said I, "Mr
2
Reviews (0)