SHERLOCK　HOLMES
  THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　SOLITARY　CYCLIST
  by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle
  From　the　years　1894　to　1901　inclusive；　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes　was　a
  very　busy　man。　It　is　safe　to　say　that　there　was　no　public　case　of
  any　difficulty　in　which　he　was　not　consulted　during　those　eight　years；
  and　there　were　hundreds　of　private　cases；　some　of　them　of　the　most
  intricate　and　extraordinary　character；　in　which　he　played　a
  prominent　part。　Many　startling　successes　and　a　few　unavoidable
  failures　were　the　outcome　of　this　long　period　of　continuous　work。　As　I
  have　preserved　very　full　notes　of　all　these　cases；　and　was　myself
  personally　engaged　in　many　of　them；　it　may　be　imagined　that　it　is　no
  easy　task　to　know　which　I　should　select　to　lay　before　the　public。　I
  shall；　however；　preserve　my　former　rule；　and　give　the　preference　to
  those　cases　which　derive　their　interest　not　so　much　from　the　brutality
  of　the　crime　as　from　the　ingenuity　and　dramatic　quality　of　the
  solution。　For　this　reason　I　will　now　lay　before　the　reader　the　facts
  connected　with　Miss　Violet　Smith；　the　solitary　cyclist　of　Charlington；
  and　the　curious　sequel　of　our　investigation；　which　culminated　in
  unexpected　tragedy。　It　is　true　that　the　circumstance　did　not　admit
  of　any　striking　illustration　of　those　powers　for　which　my　friend　was
  famous；　but　there　were　some　points　about　the　case　which　made　it
  stand　out　in　those　long　records　of　crime　from　which　I　gather　the
  material　for　these　little　narratives。
  On　referring　to　my　notebook　for　the　year　1895；　I　find　that　it　was
  upon　Saturday；　the　23rd　of　April；　that　we　first　heard　of　Miss　Violet
  Smith。　Her　visit　was；　I　remember；　extremely　unwelcome　to　Holmes；　for
  he　was　immersed　at　the　moment　in　a　very　abstruse　and　complicated
  problem　concerning　the　peculiar　persecution　to　which　John　Vincent
  Harden；　the　well　known　tobacco　millionaire；　had　been　subjected。　My
  friend；　who　loved　above　all　things　precision　and　concentration　of
  thought；　resented　anything　which　distracted　his　attention　from　the
  matter　in　hand。　And　yet；　without　a　harshness　which　was　foreign　to
  his　nature；　it　was　impossible　to　refuse　to　listen　to　the　story　of
  the　young　and　beautiful　woman；　tall；　graceful；　and　queenly；　who
  presented　herself　at　Baker　Street　late　in　the　evening；　and　implored
  his　assistance　and　advice。　It　was　vain　to　urge　that　his　time　was
  already　fully　occupied；　for　the　young　lady　had　come　with　the
  determination　to　tell　her　story；　and　it　was　evident　that　nothing　short
  of　force　could　get　her　out　of　the　room　until　she　had　done　so。　With　a
  resigned　air　and　a　somewhat　weary　smile；　Holmes　begged　the　beautiful
  intruder　to　take　a　seat；　and　to　inform　us　what　it　was　that　was
  troubling　her。
  〃At　least　it　cannot　be　your　health；〃　said　he；　as　his　keen　eyes
  darted　over　her；　〃so　ardent　a　bicyclist　must　be　full　of　energy。〃
  She　glanced　down　in　surprise　at　her　own　feet；　and　I　observed　the
  slight　roughening　of　the　side　of　the　sole　caused　by　the　friction　of
  the　edge　of　the　pedal。
  〃Yes；　I　bicycle　a　good　deal；　Mr。　Holmes；　and　that　has　something　to
  do　with　my　visit　to　you　to…day。〃
  My　friend　took　the　lady's　ungloved　hand；　and　examined　it　with　as
  close　an　attention　and　as　little　sentiment　as　a　scientist　would　show
  to　a　specimen。
  〃You　will　excuse　me；　I　am　sure。　It　is　my　business；〃　said　he；　as　he
  dropped　it。　〃I　nearly　fell　into　the　error　of　supposing　that　you　were
  typewriting。　Of　course；　it　is　obvious　that　it　is　music。　You　observe
  the　spatulate　finger…ends；　Watson；　which　is　common　to　both
  professions？　There　is　a　spirituality　about　the　face；　however〃…　she
  gently　turned　it　towards　the　light…　〃which　the　typewriter　does　not
  generate。　This　lady　is　a　musician。〃
  〃Yes；　Mr。　Holmes；　I　teach　music。〃
  〃In　the　country；　I　presume；　from　your　complexion。〃
  〃Yes；　sir；　near　Farnham；　on　the　borders　of　Surrey。〃
  〃A　beautiful　neighbourhood；　and　full　of　the　most　interesting
  associations。　You　remember；　Watson；　that　it　was　near　there　that　we
  took　Archie　Stamford；　the　forger。　Now；　Miss　Violet；　what　has
  happened　to　you；　near　Farnham；　on　the　borders　of　Surrey？〃
  The　young　lady；　with　great　clearness　and　composure；　made　the
  following　curious　statement：
  〃My　father　is　dead；　Mr。　Holmes。　He　was　James　Smith；　who　conducted
  the　orchestra　at　the　old　Imperial　Theatre。　My　mother　and　I　were　left
  without　a　relation　in　the　world　except　one　uncle；　Ralph　Smith；　who
  went　to　Africa　twenty…five　years　ago；　and　we　have　never　had　a　word
  from　him　since。　When　father　died；　we　were　left　very　poor；　but　one
  day　we　were　told　that　there　was　an　advertisement　in　the　Times；
  inquiring　for　our　whereabouts。　You　can　imagine　how　excited　we　were；
  for　we　thought　that　someone　had　left　us　a　fortune。　We　went　at　once
  to　the　lawyer　whose　name　was　given　in　the　paper。　There　we；　met　two
  gentlemen；　Mr。　Carruthers　and　Mr。　Woodley；　who　were　home　on　a　visit
  from　South　Africa。　They　said　that　my　uncle　was　a　friend　of　theirs；
  that　he　had　died　some　months　before　in　great　poverty　in
  Johannesburg；　and　that　he　had　asked　them　with　his　last　breath　to
  hunt　up　his　relations；　and　see　that　they　were　in　no　want。　It　seemed
  strange　to　us　that　Uncle　Ralph；　who　took　no　notice　of　us　when　he　was
  alive；　should　be　so　careful　to　look　after　us　when　he　was　dead；　but　Mr。
  Carruthers　explained　that　the　reason　was　that　my　uncle　had　just
  heard　of　the　death　of　his　brother；　and　so　felt　responsible　for　our
  fate。〃
  〃Excuse　me；〃　said　Holmes。　〃When　was　this　interview？〃
  〃Last　December…　four　months　ago。〃
  〃Pray　proceed。〃
  〃Mr。　Woodley　seemed　to　me　to　be　a　most　odious　person。　He　was　for
  ever　making　eyes　at　me…　a　coarse；　puffy…faced；　red…moustached　young
  man；　with　his　hair　plastered　down　on　each　side　of　his　forehead。　I
  thought　that　he　was　perfectly　hateful…　and　I　was　sure　that　Cyril　would
  not　wish　me　to　know　such　a　person。〃
  〃Oh；　Cyril　is　his　name！〃　said　Holmes；　smiling。
  The　young　lady　blushed　and　laughed。
  〃Yes；　Mr。　Holmes；　Cyril　Morton；　an　electrical　engineer；　and　we
  hope　to　be　married　at　the　end　of　the　summer。　Dear　me；　how　did　I　get
  talking　about　him？　What　I　wished　to　say　was　that　Mr。　Woodley　was
  perfectly　odious；　but　that　Mr。　Carruthers；　who　was　a　much　older　man；
  was　more　agreeable。　He　was　a　dark；　sallow；　clean…shaven；　silent
  person；　but　he　had　polite　manners　and　a　pleasant　smile。　He　inquired
  how　we　were　left；　and　on　finding　that　we　were　very　poor；　he
  suggested　that　I　should　come　and　teach　music　to　his　only　daughter；
  aged　ten。　I　said　that　I　did　not　like　to　leave　my　mother；　on　which　he
  suggested　that　I　should　go　home　to　her　every　week…end；　and　he
  offered　me　a　hundred　a　year；　which　was　certainly　splendid　pay。　So　it
  ended　by　my　accepting；　and　I　went　down　to　Chiltern　Grange；　about　six
  miles　from　Farnham。　Mr。　Carruthers　was　a　widower；　but　he　had　engaged　a
  lady　housekeeper；　a　very　respectable；　elderly　person；　called　Mrs。
  Dixon；　to　look　after　his　establishment。　The　child　was　a　dear；　and
  everything　promised　well。　Mr。　Carruthers　was　very　kind　and　very
  musical；　and　we　had　most　pleasant　evenings　together。　Every　week…end
  I　went　home　to　my　mother　in　town。
  〃The　first　flaw　in　my　happiness　was　the　arrival　of　the
  red…moustached　Mr。　Woodley。　He　came　for　a　visit　of　a　week；　and　oh！
  it　seemed　three　months　to　me。　He　was　a　dreadful　person…　a　bully　to
  everyone　else；　but　to　me　something　infinitely　worse。　He　made　odious
  love　to　me；　boasted　of　his　wealth；　said　that　if　I　married　him　I
  could　have　the　finest　diamonds　in　London；　and　finally；　when　I　would
  have　nothing　to　do　with　him；　he　seized　me　in　his　arms　one　day　after
  dinner…　he　was　hideously　strong…　and　swore　that　he　would　not　let　me　go
  until　I　had　kissed　him。　Mr。　Carruthers　came　in　and　tore　him　from　me；
  on　which　he　turned　upon　his　own　host；　knocking　him　down　and　cutting
  his　face　open。　That　was　the　end　of　his　visit；　as　you　can　imagine。
  Mr。　Carruthers　apologized　to　me　next　day；　and　assured　me　that　I　should
  never　be　exposed　to　such　an　insult　again。　I　have　not　seen　Mr。
  Woodley　since。
  〃And　now；　Mr。　Holmes；　I　come　at　last　to　the　special　thing　which
  has　caused　me　to　ask　your　advice　to…day。　You　must　know　that　every
  Saturday　forenoon　I　ride　on　my　bicycle　to　Farnham　Station；　in　order　to
  get　the　12：22　to　town。　The　road　from　Chiltern　Grange　is　a　lonely
  one；　and　at　one　spot　it　is　particularly　so；　for　it　lies　for　over　a
  mile　between　Charlington　Heath　upon　one　side　and　the　woods　which　lie
  round　Charlington　Hall　upon　the　other。　You　could　not　find　a　more
  lonely　tract　of　road　anywhere；　and　it　is　quite　rare　to　meet　so　much　as
  a　cart；　or　a　peasant；　until　you　reach　the　high　road　near　Crooksbury
  Hill。　Two　weeks　ago　I　was　passing　this　place；　when　I　chanced　to　look
  back　over　my　shoulder；　and　about　two　hundred　yards　behind　me　I　saw　a
  man；　also　on　a　bicycle。　He　seemed　to　be　a　middle…aged　man；　with　a
  short；　dark　beard。　I　looked　back　before　I　reached　Farnham；　but　the　man
  was　gone；　so　I　thought　no　more　about　it。　But　you　can　imagine　how
  surprised　I　was；　Mr。　Holmes；　when；　on　my　return　on　the　Monday；　I　saw
  the　same　man　on　the　same　stretch　of　road。