第9章

“Youappearedtoreadagooddealuponherwhichwasquiteinvisibletome，“Iremarked。

“Notinvisible，butunnoticed，Watson。Youdidnotknowwheretolook，andsoyoumissedallthatwasimportant。Icanneverbringyoutorealizetheimportanceofsleeves，thesuggestivenessofthumbnails，orthegreatissuesthatmayhangfromabootlace。

Now，whatdidyougatherfromthatwoman’sappearance？Describeit。“

“Well，shehadaslate-colored，broad-brimmedstrawhat，withafeatherofabrickishred。Herjacketwasblack，withblackbeadsseweduponitandafringeoflittleblackjetornaments。Herdresswasbrown，ratherdarkerthancoffeecolor，withalittlepurpleplushattheneckandsleeves。Herglovesweregrayish，andwerewornthroughattherightforefinger。HerbootsIdidn’tobserve。Shehadsmallround，hanginggoldearrings，andageneralairofbeingfairlywell-to-do，inavulgar，comfortable，easygoingway。“

SherlockHolmesclappedhishandssoftlytogetherandchuckled。

“’Ponmyword，Watson，youarecomingalongwonderfully。Youhavereallydoneverywellindeed。Itistruethatyouhavemissedeverythingofimportance，butyouhavehituponthemethod，andyouhaveaquickeyeforcolor。Nevertrusttogeneralimpressions，myboy，butconcentrateyourselfupondetails。Myfirstglanceisalwaysatawoman’ssleeve。Inamanitisperhapsbetterfirsttotakethekneeofthetrouser。Asyouobserve，thiswomanhadplushuponhersleeve，whichisamostusefulmaterialforshowingtraces。Thedoublelinealittleabovethewrist，wherethetypewritistpressesagainstthetable，wasbeautifullydefined。

Thesewingmachine，ofthehandtype，leavesasimilarmark，butonlyontheleftarm，andonthesideofitfarthestfromthethumb，insteadofbeingrightacrossthebroadestpart，asthiswas。Ithenglancedatherface，andobservingthedintofapince-nezateithersideofhernose，Iventuredaremarkuponshortsightandtypewriting，whichseemedtosurpriseher。“

“Itsurprisedme。“

“But，surely，itwasveryobvious。Iwasthenmuchsurprisedandinterestedonglancingdowntoobservethat，thoughthebootswhichshewaswearingwerenotunlikeeachother，theywerereallyoddones，theonehavingaslightlydecoratedtoecapandtheotheraplainone。Onewasbuttonedonlyinthetwolowerbuttonsoutoffive，andtheotheratthefirst，third，andfifth。Now，whenyouseethatayounglady，otherwiseneatlydressed，hascomeawayfromhomewithoddboots，half-buttoned，itisnogreatdeductiontosaythatshecameawayinahurry。“

“Andwhatelse？“Iasked，keenlyinterested，asIalwayswas，bymyfriend’sincisivereasoning。

“Inoted，inpassing，thatshehadwrittenanotebeforeleavinghome，butafterbeingfullydressed。Youobservedthatherrightglovewastornattheforefinger，butyoudidnot，apparently，seethatbothgloveandfingerwerestainedwithvioletink。Shehadwritteninahurry，anddippedherpentoodeep。Itmusthavebeenthismorning，orthemarkwouldnotremainclearuponthefinger。

Allthisisamusing，thoughratherelementary，butImustgobacktobusiness，Watson。WouldyoumindreadingmetheadvertiseddescriptionofMr。HosmerAngel？“

Iheldthelittleprintedsliptothelight。“Missing，“itsaid，“onthemorningofthefourteenth，agentlemannamedHosmerAngel。

Aboutfivefeetseveninchesinheight；stronglybuilt，sallowcomplexion，blackhair，alittlebaldinthecenter，bushyblackside-whiskersandmustache；tintedglasses；slightinfirmityofspeech。Wasdressed，whenlastseen，inblackfrock-coatfacedwithsilk，blackwaistcoat，goldAlbertchain，andgrayHarristweedtrousers，withbrowngaitersoverelastic-sidedboots。KnowntohavebeenemployedinanofficeinLeadenhallStreet。Anybodybringing，“etc。，etc。

“Thatwilldo，“saidHolmes。“Astotheletters，“hecontinued，glancingoverthem，“theyareverycommonplace。AbsolutelynoclewinthemtoMr。Angel，savethathequotesBalzaconce。Thereisoneremarkablepoint，however，whichwillnodoubtstrikeyou。“

“Theyaretypewritten，“Iremarked。

“Notonlythat，butthesignatureistypewritten。Lookattheneatlittle’HosmerAngel’atthebottom。Thereisadate，yousee，butnosuperscriptionexceptLeadenhallStreet，whichisrathervague。

Thepointaboutthesignatureisverysuggestive——infact，wemaycallitconclusive。“

“Ofwhat？“

“Mydearfellow，isitpossibleyoudonotseehowstronglyitbearsuponthecase？“

“IcannotsaythatIdo，unlessitwerethathewishedtobeabletodenyhissignatureifanactionforbreachofpromisewereinstituted。“

“No，thatwasnotthepoint。However，Ishallwritetwoletterswhichshouldsettlethematter。OneistoafirmintheCity，theotheristotheyounglady’sstepfather，Mr。Windibank，askinghimwhetherhecouldmeetushereatsixo’clockto-morrowevening。Itisjustaswellthatweshoulddobusinesswiththemalerelatives。

Andnow，doctor，wecandonothinguntiltheanswerstothoseletterscome，sowemayputourlittleproblemupontheshelffortheinterim。“

Ihadhadsomanyreasonstobelieveinmyfriend’ssubtlepowersofreasoning，andextraordinaryenergyinaction，thatIfeltthathemusthavesomesolidgroundsfortheassuredandeasydemeanorwithwhichhetreatedthesingularmysterywhichhehadbeencalledupontofathom。OnceonlyhadIknownhimtofail，inthecaseoftheKingofBohemiaandtheIreneAdlerphotograph，butwhenI

lookedbacktotheweirdbusinessofthe“SignoftheFour，“andtheextraordinarycircumstancesconnectedwiththe“StudyinScarlet，“Ifeltthatitwouldbeastrangetangleindeedwhichhecouldnotunravel。

Ilefthimthen，stillpuffingathisblackclaypipe，withtheconvictionthatwhenIcameagainonthenexteveningIwouldfindthatheheldinhishandsalltheclewswhichwouldleaduptotheidentityofthedisappearingbridegroomofMissMarySutherland。

Aprofessionalcaseofgreatgravitywasengagingmyownattentionatthetime，andthewholeofnextdayIwasbusyatthebedsideofthesufferer。Itwasnotuntilcloseuponsixo’clockthatIfoundmyselffree，andwasabletospringintoahansomanddrivetoBakerStreet，halfafraidthatImightbetoolatetoassistatthedenouementofthelittlemystery。IfoundSherlockHolmesalone，however，halfasleep，withhislong，thinformcurledupintherecessesofhisarmchair。Aformidablearrayofbottlesandtest-

tubes，withthepungent，cleanlysmellofhydrochloricacid，toldmethathehadspenthisdayinthechemicalworkwhichwassodeartohim。

“Well，haveyousolvedit？“IaskedasIentered。

“Yes。Itwasthebisulphateofbaryta。“

“No，no；themystery！“Icried。

“Oh，that！IthoughtofthesaltthatIhavebeenworkingupon。

Therewasneveranymysteryinthematter，though，asIsaidyesterday，someofthedetailsareofinterest。Theonlydrawbackisthatthereisnolaw，Ifear，thatcantouchthescoundrel。“

“Whowashe，then，andwhatwashisobjectindesertingMissSutherland？“

Thequestionwashardlyoutofmymouth，andHolmeshadnotyetopenedhislipstoreply，whenweheardaheavyfootfallinthepassage，andatapatthedoor。

“Thisisthegirl’sstepfather，Mr。JamesWindibank，“saidHolmes。

“Hehaswrittentometosaythathewouldbehereatsix。Comein！“

Themanwhoenteredwasasturdy，middle-sizedfellow，somethirtyyearsofage，cleanshaven，andsallow-skinned，withabland，insinuatingmanner，andapairofwonderfullysharpandpenetratinggrayeyes。Heshotaquestioningglanceateachofus，placedhisshinytophatuponthesideboard，and，withaslightbow，sidleddownintothenearestchair。

“Goodevening，Mr。JamesWindibank，“saidHolmes。“Ithinkthistypewrittenletterisfromyou，inwhichyoumadeanappointmentwithmeforsixo’clock？“

“Yes，sir。IamafraidthatIamalittlelate，butIamnotquitemyownmaster，youknow。IamsorrythatMissSutherlandhastroubledyouaboutthislittlematter，forIthinkitisfarbetternottowashlinenofthesortinpublic。Itwasquiteagainstmywishesthatshecame，butsheisaveryexcitable，impulsivegirl，asyoumayhavenoticed，andsheisnoteasilycontrolledwhenshehasmadeuphermindonapoint。Ofcourse，Ididnotmindyousomuch，asyouarenotconnectedwiththeofficialpolice，butitisnotpleasanttohaveafamilymisfortunelikethisnoisedabroad。

Besides，itisauselessexpense，forhowcouldyoupossiblyfindthisHosmerAngel？“

“Onthecontrary，“saidHolmes，quietly，“IhaveeveryreasontobelievethatIwillsucceedindiscoveringMr。HosmerAngel。“

Mr。Windibankgaveaviolentstart，anddroppedhisgloves。“Iamdelightedtohearit，“hesaid。

“Itisacuriousthing，“remarkedHolmes，“thatatypewriterhasreallyquiteasmuchindividualityasaman’shandwriting。Unlesstheyarequitenewnotwoofthemwriteexactlyalike。Somelettersgetmorewornthanothers，andsomewearonlyononeside。

Now，youremarkinthisnoteofyours，Mr。Windibank，thatineverycasethereissomelittleslurringoverthee，andaslightdefectinthetailofther。Therearefourteenothercharacteristics，butthosearethemoreobvious。“

“Wedoallourcorrespondencewiththismachineattheoffice，andnodoubtitisalittleworn，“ourvisitoranswered，glancingkeenlyatHolmeswithhisbrightlittleeyes。

“AndnowIwillshowyouwhatisreallyaveryinterestingstudy，Mr。Windibank，“Holmescontinued。“Ithinkofwritinganotherlittlemonographsomeofthesedaysonthetypewriteranditsrelationtocrime。ItisasubjecttowhichIhavedevotedsomelittleattention。Ihaveherefourletterswhichpurporttocomefromthemissingman。Theyarealltypewritten。Ineachcase，notonlyarethee’sslurredandther’stailless，butyouwillobserve，ifyoucaretousemymagnifyinglens，thatthefourteenothercharacteristicstowhichIhavealludedarethereaswell。“

Mr。Windibanksprungoutofhischair，andpickeduphishat。“I

cannotwastetimeoverthissortoffantastictalk，Mr。Holmes，“hesaid。“Ifyoucancatchtheman，catchhim，andletmeknowwhenyouhavedoneit。“

“Certainly，“saidHolmes，steppingoverandturningthekeyinthedoor。“Iletyouknow，then，thatIhavecaughthim！“