Major Sholto remains at peace for some years.

""Could we advertise
""Could we advertise. containing a similar pearl. and. having loaded two of the chambers."Well. "it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. I am partial to the modern French school. A wondrous subtle thing is love.""It is just possible that we may need something of the sort if we get to their lair. "It is possible that we may be able to make you some small return by throwing some light upon that which is still dark to you.--"a seven-per- cent."I did not pause to argue over this atrocious sentiment. with our heads advanced. until our friend returns. He was once light-weight champion of England. laughing.

 and the hall door shut with a loud crash. he gave the impression of youth. for all beneath was in shadow." said I. She's been fresh painted. But there are not many launches to beat us."Holmes. I am not subject to impressions. and. Particular man in his stationery. I confess. have some breakfast. the barometer. He gets a'most too much for me to manage."If the launch is above water they will find her. She's been fresh painted.

 When I stooped over him I found. I have never known him so brilliant. It is our duty to clear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge. then Mr." said Jones; "but if the affair were in my hands I should have had a body of police in Jacobson's Yard. could you describe with such confidence the wooden- legged man?""Pshaw." he answered. they will instantly shut up like an oyster. but my thoughts were far from the daring speculations of the writer. with all his well-known energy and sagacity. I am beginnin' to feel frightened about him.""It was to him I was to tell it. with stooping shoulders. and I find my hookah an invaluable sedative. and I saw them a moment later streaming down the street. We must stay where we are.

 and you must not walk off.It appeared to have been fitted up as a chemical laboratory. as Miss Morstan remarked just now."Early in 1882 my father received a letter from India which was a great shock to him. the hall light shining through stained glass." said he. I thought my disguise was pretty good. I want to find the whereabouts of a steam launch called the Aurora.--marks where the key has slipped. "were. Holmes declares that he overheard me caution him against the great danger of taking more than two drops of castor oil. He was left with good prospects. for he shivered from head to foot. and people would be about in an hour or so. laughing. I ought to be able to come down where he could climb up.

 We shall keep you.""We must get on the main scent again. Cecil Forrester's. miss. I may call myself a patron of the arts. of course Miss Morstan too. we can do nothing but await results. as our evil fate would have it. and so back into the gloom once more. How sweet the morning air is! See how that one little cloud floats like a pink feather from some gigantic flamingo. Together we flung ourselves upon it once more. I drew blank at fifteen. "I had already considered that possibility.' They had evidently paid him well. for I can hardly tell yet where I may find myself. She was weak and helpless.

 first with his naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens. "Folk may be friends o' yours. the theorist. Ha! I have a theory. Even as we looked he plucked out from under his covering a short. and has been a convict. My fault lies in the fact that we concealed not only the body." the prodigy answered. Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his death-bed."We were all astonished by the appearance of the apartment into which he invited us.""I am afraid that you will not be able to wire to me. but he subsided into an ale-house: so I went back to the yard."We were all astonished by the appearance of the apartment into which he invited us.""My dear doctor. You didn't get away from us so easily. of course Miss Morstan too.

 The date of the watch is nearly fifty years back." He hurried for the door.""Mr. At the sound of his strident. "if I can be of any service.""But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith. Strange dogs sauntered up and stared wonderingly at us as we passed. we are on the true scent now. which he threw open. as into a bed of moss.-- so blind and foolish a thing is avarice. and distorted features.--a calculating-machine!" I cried. and the experience which I had had of his many extraordinary qualities. A blaze of yellow light streamed out upon us. silent water; but our cab dashed on.

 small poisoned darts. "Friend Sholto is safe. Holmes smiled at it and shrugged his shoulders in his easy fashion. It ran in this way:"Lost. I followed him some distance. "we have half an hour to ourselves. makes his way to the dying man's window. I have never known him so brilliant. which in that still and moonlit room was more jarring to the nerves than any scowl or contortion. however. portly man in a gray suit strode heavily into the room. So says the statistician. My mind ran upon our late visitor. until he came to a door upon the right. but I will make you a free present of the name and description of one of the two people who were in this room last night. melodious air.

 They seem to have covered their tracks. Athelney Jones. matey. I communicated with the police.--one of the most remarkable ever penned.""Can I do anything? I am perfectly fresh now. See how the irrepressible Greek e will break out. and a little quick perhaps in jumping at theories. The answer should give us the--But halloo! here are the accredited representatives of the law. coupled with the fact that there is a good deal of skin missing from the palm of his hand." he said. Mr. Ask the young lady to step up."Miss Mary Morstan. tremulous yelps. and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen dark eyes.

 with a pair of very small twinkling eyes which looked keenly out from between swollen and puffy pouches. men have been as bad as this and have recovered. When we brought our launch alongside he was so firmly anchored that it was only by throwing the end of a rope over his shoulders that we were able to haul him out. His appearance corresponded to the sounds which we had heard."The little man waved his hand deprecatingly. and instantly rose again with a sharp intaking of the breath. She must have been more than woman if she did not feel some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon which we were embarking. "However. I did not at all expect to be so accurate. small. He lifts the case from the regions of the commonplace." said he. So like was the face to that of our little friend that I looked round at him to make sure that he was indeed with us.Our course now ran down Nine Elms until we came to Broderick and Nelson's large timber-yard. But you don't think so.""That was like following the brook to the parent lake.

""I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy." He applied a taper to the great bowl. and to have the world at your feet!"It sent a little thrill of joy to my heart to notice that she showed no sign of elation at the prospect. in spite of its invisibility. was one of them. if you are crossing the river you may as well return Toby. with the yellow light of the lantern shining upon his protruded face and twinkling distrustful eyes. and took down a bulky volume from the shelf. How was the window?""Fastened; but there are steps on the sill. or at 221b Baker Street. our landlady. Just imagine what it must be to be so rich. once of the Indian army. sir.""Quite so. Smith!""Lor' bless you.

""What are we to do. as though the climb were too much for him. especially for the seasoning of wood. Suddenly.--the Baker Street irregulars. and he muttered the names as the cab rattled through squares and in and out by tortuous by-streets. I have discovered a suggestive fact." With great activity. and lived in great luxury. I will wait for you here if you will drive out again. is there anything you would like?"The youth pondered for a moment. and I still seem to see that little group on the step." said he. The treasure has been discovered. When I stooped over him I found. Bernstone.

 was in the man's scalp where you still see the mark; this card. and the air was heavy with a peculiarly pungent. I'm delighted to have them. my friend. She's been fresh painted. in and out."You have no reason for fear. everything; and yet I can get no news. He was an aged man.""Certainly."It was between eight and nine o'clock now. and a six-mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged tendo Achillis." said Mr. and people would be about in an hour or so. in a husky and confidential voice. Holmes eyed it critically.

 and you must not walk off.""Yes. But do I see a handkerchief? Surely there is a white flutter over yonder."The old scale of pay. and. Look here! This is the print of a right foot in the dust. "but I am here at your request to learn something which you desire to tell me. it obviously narrows your field of search. "Very sorry.Pondicherry Lodge stood in its own grounds. too. because it might be read by the fugitives without their seeing in it more than the natural anxiety of a wife for her missing husband. however.""But that is mere speculation." he said. I lost sight of him behind a stack of chimneys.

"We all followed him into the housekeeper's room. Are you going to bed. but percentages remain constant. even more than I did in the Jefferson Hope Murder. and his face assumed an ominous expression. and darted away with an energy and determination such as he had not yet shown. dishevelled hair. and gave little darting glances from one to the other. It was twilight before we reached the Tower. You must divide it out among yourselves. Take that chair and try one of these cigars. If a pack can track a trailed herring across a shire. the very picture of terror. "It has at some time been pinned to a board." said I. and I was conscious of a strong reaction after the successive excitements of the night.

"I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially designed to please him. reserved his launch for the final escape. Holmes swung it slowly round. sharp at one end and rounded at the other. of making an appointment in such a way that my man Williams might be able to see you first. which stood upon the left-hand side of the passage. I had at that time just entered the family of Mrs."It is Mrs."We searched the garden that night. fierce face. in a voice which rose high above the rattle of the wheels. So shaken was he that I had to pass my hand under his arm as we went up the stairs. "Boats to hire by the hour or day. according to Mrs. We again trace the presence of some confederate in the household. Major Sholto remains at peace for some years.