«Indeed [?ndi¦d], I [a?] should [??d] have [h?v] thought [??¦t] a [?] little [l?tl] more [m?¦]. Just [??st] a [?] trifle [tra?fl] more [m?¦], I [a?] fancy [f?nsi], Watson [w?ts?n]. And [?nd] in [?n] practice [pr?kt?s] again [?g?n], I [a?] observe [?bz?¦v]. You [ju¦] did [d?d] not [n?t] tell [t?l] me [mi¦] that [??t] you [ju¦] intended [?nt?nd?d] to [tu¦] go [g??] into [?ntu¦] harness [h?¦n?s].»
«Then [??n], how [ha?] do [du¦] you [ju¦] know [n??]?»
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«I [a?] see [si¦] it [?t], I [a?] deduce [d?dju¦s] it [?t]. How [ha?] do [du¦] I [a?] know [n??] that [??t] you [ju¦] have [h?v] been [bi¦n] getting [g?t?n] yourself [j?¦s?lf] very [v?ri] wet [w?t] lately [le?tli], and [?nd] that [??t] you [ju¦] have [h?v] a [?] most [m??st] clumsy [kl?mzi] and [?nd] careless [ke?l?s] servant [s?¦v?nt] girl [g?¦l]?»
«My [ma?] dear [d??] Holmes [h??mz],» said [s?d] I [a?], «this [??s] is [?z] too [tu¦] much [m??]. You [ju¦] would [w?d] certainly [s?¦tnli] have [h?v] been [bi¦n] burned [b?¦nd], had [h?d] you [ju¦] lived [l?vd] a [?] few [fju¦] centuries [s?n??riz] ago [?g??]. It [?t] is [?z] true [tru¦] that [??t] I [a?] had [h?d] a [?] country [k?ntri] walk [w?¦k] on [?n] Thursday [??¦zde?] and [?nd] came [ke?m] home [h??m] in [?n] a [?] dreadful [dr?df?l] mess [m?s], but [b?t] as [?z] I [a?] have [h?v] changed [?e?n?d] my [ma?] clothes [kl???z] I [a?] can’t [k?¦nt] imagine [?m???n] how [ha?] you [ju¦] deduce [d?dju¦s] it [?t]. As [?z] to [tu¦] Mary [me?ri] Jane [?e?n], she [?i¦] is [?z] incorrigible [?nk?r???bl], and [?nd] my [ma?] wife [wa?f] has [h?z] given [g?vn] her [h?¦] notice [n??t?s], but [b?t] there [?e?], again [?g?n], I [a?] fail [fe?l] to [tu¦] see [si¦] how [ha?] you [ju¦] work [w?¦k] it [?t] out [a?t].»
He [hi¦] chuckled [??kld] to [tu¦] himself [h?ms?lf] and [?nd] rubbed [r?bd] his [h?z] long [l?n], nervous [n?¦v?s] hands [h?ndz] together [t?g???].
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«It [?t] is [?z] simplicity [s?mpl?s?ti] itself [?ts?lf],» said [s?d] he [hi¦]; «my [ma?] eyes [a?z] tell [t?l] me [mi¦] that [??t] on [?n] the [?i] inside [?nsa?d] of [?v] your [j?¦] left [l?ft] shoe [?u¦], just [??st] where [we?] the [??] firelight [fa??la?t] strikes [stra?ks] it [?t], the [??] leather [l???r] is [?z] scored [sk?¦d] by [ba?] six [s?ks] almost [?¦lm??st] parallel [p?r?l?l] cuts [k?ts]. Obviously [?bv??sli] they [?e?] have [h?v] been [bi¦n] caused [k?¦zd] by [ba?] someone [s?mw?n] who [hu¦] has [h?z] very [v?ri] carelessly [ke?l?sli] scraped [skre?pt] round [ra?nd] the [?i] edges [???z] of [?v] the [??] sole [s??l] in [?n] order [?¦d?] to [tu¦] remove [r?mu¦v] crusted [kr?st?d] mud [m?d] from [fr?m] it [?t]. Hence [h?ns], you [ju¦] see [si¦], my [ma?] double [d?bl] deduction [d?d?k??n] that [??t] you [ju¦] had [h?d] been [bi¦n] out [a?t] in [?n] vile [va?l] weather [w???], and [?nd] that [??t] you [ju¦] had [h?d] a [?] particularly [p?t?kj?l?li] malignant [m?l?gn?nt] boot-slitting [bu¦t] [sl?t?n] specimen [sp?s?m?n] of [?v] the [??] London [l?nd?n] slavey [sl?vi]. As [?z] to [tu¦] your [j?¦] practice [pr?kt?s], if [?f] a [?] gentleman [??ntlm?n] walks [w?¦ks] into [?ntu¦] my [ma?] rooms [ru¦mz] smelling [sm?l?n] of [?v] iodoform, with [w??] a [?] black [bl?k] mark [m?¦k] of [?v] nitrate [na?tre?t] of [?v] silver [s?lv?r] upon [?p?n] his [h?z] right [ra?t] forefinger [f?¦f?ng?], and [?nd] a [?] bulge [b?l?] on [?n] the [??] right [ra?t] side [sa?d] of [?v] his [h?z] top-hat [t?p] [h?t] to [tu¦] show [???] where [we?] he [hi¦] has [h?z] secreted [s?kri¦t?d] his [h?z] stethoscope [st???sk??p], I [a?] must [m?st] be [bi¦] dull [d?l], indeed [?ndi¦d], if [?f] I [a?] do [du¦] not [n?t] pronounce [pr?na?ns] him [h?m] to [tu¦] be [bi¦] an [?n] active [?kt?v] member [m?mb?r] of [?v] the [??] medical [m?d?k?l] profession [pr?f???n].»
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I [a?] could [k?d] not [n?t] help [h?lp] laughing [l?¦f?n] at [?t] the [?i] ease [i¦z] with [w??] which [w??] he [hi¦] explained [?ksple?nd] his [h?z] process [pr??s?s] of [?v] deduction [d?d?k??n]. «When [w?n] I [a?] hear [h??] you [ju¦] give [g?v] your [j?¦] reasons [ri¦znz],» I [a?] remarked [r?m?¦kt], «the [??] thing [??n] always [?¦lwe?z] appears [?p??z] to [tu¦] me [mi¦] to [tu¦] be [bi¦] so [s??] ridiculously [r?d?kj?l?sli] simple [s?mpl] that [??t] I [a?] could [k?d] easily [i¦z?li] do [du¦] it [?t] myself [ma?s?lf], though [???] at [?t] each [i¦?] successive [s?ks?s?v] instance [?nst?ns] of [?v] your [j?¦] reasoning [ri¦zn?n] I [a?] am [?m] baffled [b?fld] until [?nt?l] you [ju¦] explain [?ksple?n] your [j?¦] process [pr??s?s]. And [?nd] yet [j?t] I [a?] believe [b?li¦v] that [??t] my [ma?] eyes [a?z] are [?¦r] as [?z] good [g?d] as [?z] yours [j?¦z].»
«Quite [kwa?t] so [s??],» he [hi¦] answered [?¦ns?d], lighting [la?t?n] a [?] cigarette [s?g?r?t], and [?nd] throwing [?r???n] himself [h?ms?lf] down [da?n] into [?ntu¦] an [?n] armchair [?¦m?e?]. «You [ju¦] see [si¦], but [b?t] you [ju¦] do [du¦] not [n?t] observe [?bz?¦v]. The [??] distinction [d?st?nk??n] is [?z] clear [kl??]. For [f?¦r] example [?gz?¦mpl], you [ju¦] have [h?v] frequently [fri¦kw?ntli] seen [si¦n] the [??] steps [st?ps] which [w??] lead [li¦d] up [?p] from [fr?m] the [??] hall [h?¦l] to [tu¦] this [??s] room [ru¦m].»
«Frequently [fri¦kw?ntli].»
«How [ha?] often [?fn]?»
«Well [w?l], some [s?m] hundreds [h?ndr?dz] of [?v] times [ta?mz].»
«Then [??n] how [ha?] many [m?ni] are [?¦] there [?e?]?»
«How [ha?] many [m?ni]? I [a?] don’t [d??nt] know [n??].»
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«Quite [kwa?t] so [s??]! You [ju¦] have [h?v] not [n?t] observed [?bz?¦vd]. And [?nd] yet [j?t] you [ju¦] have [h?v] seen [si¦n]. That [??t] is [?z] just [??st] my [ma?] point [p??nt]. Now [na?], I [a?] know [n??] that [??t] there [?e?r] are [?¦] seventeen [s?vnti¦n] steps [st?ps], because [b?k?z] I [a?] have [h?v] both [b???] seen [si¦n] and [?nd] observed [?bz?¦vd]. By [ba?] the [??] way [we?], since [s?ns] you [ju¦] are [?¦r] interested [?ntr?st?d] in [?n] these [?i¦z] little [l?tl] problems [pr?bl?mz], and [?nd] since [s?ns] you [ju¦] are [?¦] good [g?d] enough [?n?f] to [tu¦] chronicle [kr?n?kl] one [w?n] or [?¦] two [tu¦] of [?v] my [ma?] trifling [tra?fl?n] experiences [?ksp??r??ns?z], you [ju¦] may [me?] be [bi¦] interested [?ntr?st?d] in [?n] this [??s].» He [hi¦] threw [?ru¦] over [??v?r] a [?] sheet [?i¦t] of [?v] thick [??k], pink-tinted [p?nk] [t?nt?d] notepaper [n??tpe?p?] which [w??] had [h?d] been [bi¦n] lying [la??n] open [??p?n] upon [?p?n] the [??] table [te?bl]. «It [?t] came [ke?m] by [ba?] the [??] last [l?¦st] post [p??st],» said [s?d] he [hi¦]. «Read [ri¦d] it [?t] aloud [?la?d].»
The [??] note [n??t] was [w?z] undated [?nde?t?d], and [?nd] without [w??a?t] either [a???] signature [s?gn???r] or [?¦r] address [?dr?s].
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«There [?e?] will [w?l] call [k?¦l] upon [?p?n] you [ju¦] to-night [tu¦] [na?t], at [?t] a [?] quarter [kw?¦t?] to [tu¦] eight [e?t] o’clock [?kl?k],» it [?t] said [s?d], «a [?] gentleman [??ntlm?n] who [hu¦] desires [d?za??z] to [tu¦] consult [k?ns?lt] you [ju¦] upon [?p?n] a [?] matter [m?t?r] of [?v] the [??] very [v?ri] deepest [di¦p?st] moment [m??m?nt]. Your [j?¦] recent [ri¦snt] services [s?¦v?s?z] to [tu¦] one [w?n] of [?v] the [??] royal [r???l] houses [ha?z?z] of [?v] Europe [j??r?p] have [h?v] shown [???n] that [??t] you [ju¦] are [?¦] one [w?n] who [hu¦] may [me?] safely [se?fli] be [bi¦] trusted [tr?st?d] with [w??] matters [m?t?z] which [w??] are [?¦r] of [?v] an [?n] importance [?mp?¦t?ns] which [w??] can [k?n] hardly [h?¦dli] be [bi¦] exaggerated [?gz???re?t?d]. This [??s] account [?ka?nt] of [?v] you [ju¦] we [wi¦] have [h?v] from [fr?m] all [?¦l] quarters [kw?¦t?z] received [r?si¦vd]. Be [bi¦] in [?n] your [j?¦] chamber [?e?mb?] then [??n] at [?t] that [??t] hour [a??], and [?nd] do [du¦] not [n?t] take [te?k] it [?t] amiss [?m?s] if [?f] your [j?¦] visitor [v?z?t?] wear [we?r] a [?] mask [m?¦sk].»
«This [??s] is [?z] indeed [?ndi¦d] a [?] mystery [m?st?ri],» I [a?] remarked [r?m?¦kt]. «What [w?t] do [du¦] you [ju¦] imagine [?m???n] that [??t] it [?t] means [mi¦nz]?»
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«I [a?] have [h?v] no [n??] data [de?t?] yet [j?t]. It [?t] is [?z] a [?] capital [k?p?tl] mistake [m?ste?k] to [tu¦] theorise [???ra?z] before [b?f?¦] one [w?n] has [h?z] data [de?t?]. Insensibly [?ns?ns?bli] one [w?n] begins [b?g?nz] to [tu¦] twist [tw?st] facts [f?kts] to [tu¦] suit [sju¦t] theories [???riz], instead [?nst?d] of [?v] theories [???riz] to [tu¦] suit [sju¦t] facts [f?kts]. But [b?t] the [??] note [n??t] itself [?ts?lf]. What [w?t] do [du¦] you [ju¦] deduce [d?dju¦s] from [fr?m] it [?t]?»
I [a?] carefully [ke?fli] examined [?gz?m?nd] the [??] writing [ra?t?n], and [?nd] the [??] paper [pe?p?r] upon [?p?n] which [w??] it [?t] was [w?z] written [r?tn].
«The [??] man [m?n] who [hu¦] wrote [r??t] it [?t] was [w?z] presumably [pr?zju¦m?bli] well [w?l] to [tu¦] do [du¦],» I [a?] remarked [r?m?¦kt], endeavouring [?nd?v?r?n] to [tu¦] imitate [?m?te?t] my [ma?] companion’s [k?mp?nj?nz] processes [pr??s?s?z]. «Such [s??] paper [pe?p?] could [k?d] not [n?t] be [bi¦] bought [b?¦t] under [?nd?] half [h?¦f] a [?] crown [kra?n] a [?] packet [p?k?t]. It [?t] is [?z] peculiarly [p?kju¦li?li] strong [str?n] and [?nd] stiff [st?f].»
«Peculiar [p?kju¦li?] – that [??t] is [?z] the [??] very [v?ri] word [w?¦d],» said [s?d] Holmes [h??mz]. «It [?t] is [?z] not [n?t] an [?n] English [?ngl??] paper [pe?p?r] at [?t] all [?¦l]. Hold [h??ld] it [?t] up [?p] to [tu¦] the [??] light [la?t].»
I [a?] did [d?d] so [s??], and [?nd] saw [s?¦] a [?] large [l?¦?] «E [i¦]» with [w??] a [?] small [sm?¦l] «g [?i¦],» a [?] «P [pi¦],» and [?nd] a [?] large [l?¦?] «G [?i¦]» with [w??] a [?] small [sm?¦l] «t [ti¦]» woven [w??v?n] into [?ntu¦] the [??] texture [t?ks??r] of [?v] the [??] paper [pe?p?].
«What [w?t] do [du¦] you [ju¦] make [me?k] of [?v] that [??t]?» asked [?¦skt] Holmes [h??mz].
«The [??] name [ne?m] of [?v] the [??] maker [me?k?], no [n??] doubt [da?t]; or [?¦] his [h?z] monogram [m?n?gr?m], rather [r?¦??].»
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