SHERLOCK　HOLMES
  THE　ADVENTURE　OF　THE　COPPER　BEECHES
  by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle
  The　Adventure　of　the　Copper　Beeches
  〃To　the　man　who　loves　art　for　its　own　sake；〃　remarked　Sherlock
  Holmes；　tossing　aside　the　advertisement　sheet　of　the　Daily
  Telegraph；　〃it　is　frequently　in　its　least　important　and　lowliest
  manifestations　that　the　keenest　pleasure　is　to　be　derived。　It　is
  pleasant　to　me　to　observe；　Watson；　that　you　have　so　far　grasped　this
  truth　that　in　these　little　records　of　our　cases　which　you　have　been
  good　enough　to　draw　up；　and；　I　am　bound　to　say；　occasionally　to
  embellish；　you　have　given　prominence　not　so　much　to　the　many　causes
  celebres　and　sensational　trials　in　which　I　have　figured　but　rather
  to　those　incidents　which　may　have　been　trivial　in　themselves；　but
  which　have　given　room　for　those　faculties　of　deduction　and　of
  logical　synthesis　which　I　have　made　my　special　province。〃
  〃And　yet；〃　said　I；　smiling；　〃I　cannot　quite　hold　myself　absolved
  from　the　charge　of　sensationalism　which　has　been　urged　against　my
  records。〃
  〃You　have　erred；　perhaps；〃　he　observed；　taking　up　a　glowing　cinder
  with　the　tongs　and　lighting　with　it　the　long　cherry…wood　pipe　which
  was　wont　to　replace　his　clay　when　he　was　in　a　disputatious　rather　than
  a　meditative　mood…〃you　have　erred　perhaps　in　attempting　to　put
  colour　and　life　into　each　of　your　statements　instead　of　confining
  yourself　to　the　task　of　placing　upon　record　that　severe　reasoning　from
  cause　to　effect　which　is　really　the　only　notable　feature　about　the
  thing。〃
  〃It　seems　to　me　that　I　have　done　you　full　justice　in　the　matter；〃
  I　remarked　with　some　coldness；　for　I　was　repelled　by　the　egotism　which
  I　had　more　than　once　observed　to　be　a　strong　factor　in　my　friend's
  singular　character。
  〃No；　it　is　not　selfishness　or　conceit；〃　said　he；　answering；　as　was
  his　wont；　my　thoughts　rather　than　my　words。　〃If　I　claim　full　justice
  for　my　art；　it　is　because　it　is　an　impersonal　thing…a　thing　beyond
  myself。　Crime　is　common。　Logic　is　rare。　Therefore　it　is　upon　the　logic
  rather　than　upon　the　crime　that　you　should　dwell。　You　have　degraded
  what　should　have　been　a　course　of　lectures　into　a　series　of　tales。〃
  It　was　a　cold　morning　of　the　early　spring；　and　we　sat　after
  breakfast　on　either　side　of　a　cheery　fire　in　the　old　room　at　Baker
  Street。　A　thick　fog　rolled　down　between　the　lines　of　dun…coloured
  houses；　and　the　opposing　windows　loomed　like　dark；　shapeless　blurs
  through　the　heavy　yellow　wreaths。　Our　gas　was　lit　and　shone　on　the
  white　cloth　and　glimmer　of　china　and　metal；　for　the　table　had　not　been
  cleared　yet。　Sherlock　Holmes　had　been　silent　all　the　morning；
  dipping　continuously　into　the　advertisement　columns　of　a　succession　of
  papers　until　at　last；　having　apparently　given　up　his　search；　he　had
  emerged　in　no　very　sweet　temper　to　lecture　me　upon　my　literary
  shortcomings。
  〃At　the　same　time；〃　he　remarked　after　a　pause；　during　which　he　had
  sat　puffing　at　his　long　pipe　and　gazing　down　into　the　fire；　〃you　can
  hardly　be　open　to　a　charge　of　sensationalism；　for　out　of　these　cases
  which　you　have　been　so　kind　as　to　interest　yourself　in；　a　fair
  proportion　do　not　treat　of　crime；　in　its　legal　sense；　at　all。　The
  small　matter　in　which　I　endeavoured　to　help　the　King　of　Bohemia；　the
  singular　experience　of　Miss　Mary　Sutherland；　the　problem　connected
  with　the　man　with　the　twisted　lip；　and　the　incident　of　the　noble
  bachelor；　were　all　matters　which　are　outside　the　pale　of　the　law。
  But　in　avoiding　the　sensational；　I　fear　that　you　may　have　bordered
  on　the　trivial。〃
  〃The　end　may　have　been　so；〃　I　answered；　〃but　the　methods　I　hold　to
  have　been　novel　and　of　interest。〃
  〃Pshaw；　my　dear　fellow；　what　do　the　public；　the　great　unobservant
  public；　who　could　hardly　tell　a　weaver　by　his　tooth　or　a　compositor　by
  his　left　thumb；　care　about　the　finer　shades　of　analysis　and　deduction！
  But；　indeed；　if　you　are　trivial；　I　cannot　blame　you；　for　the　days　of
  the　great　cases　are　past。　Man；　or　at　least　criminal　man；　has　lost
  all　enterprise　and　originality。　As　to　my　own　little　practice；　it　seems
  to　be　degenerating　into　an　agency　for　recovering　lost　lead　pencils　and
  giving　advice　to　young　ladies　from　boarding…schools。　I　think　that　I
  have　touched　bottom　at　last；　however。　This　note　I　had　this　morning
  marks　my　zero…point；　I　fancy。　Read　it！〃　He　tossed　a　crumpled　letter
  across　to　me。
  It　was　dated　from　Montague　Place　upon　the　preceding　evening；　and　ran
  thus：
  DEAR　MR。　HOLMES：
  I　am　very　anxious　to　consult　you　as　to　whether　I　should　or　should
  not　accept　a　situation　which　has　been　offered　to　me　as　governess。　I
  shall　call　at　half…past　ten　to…morrow　if　I　do　not　inconvenience　you。
  Yours　faithfully；
  VIOLET　HUNTER。
  〃Do　you　know　the　young　lady？〃　I　asked。
  〃Not　I。〃
  〃It　is　half…past　ten　now。〃
  〃Yes；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that　is　her　ring。〃
  〃It　may　turn　out　to　be　of　more　interest　than　you　think。　You　remember
  that　the　affair　of　the　blue　carbuncle；　which　appeared　to　be　a　mere
  whim　at　first；　developed　into　a　serious　investigation。　It　may　be　so　in
  this　case；　also。〃
  〃Well；　let　us　hope　so。　But　our　doubts　will　very　soon　be　solved；
  for　here；　unless　I　am　much　mistaken；　is　the　person　in　question。〃
  As　he　spoke　the　door　opened　and　a　young　lady　entered　the　room。　She
  was　plainly　but　neatly　dressed；　with　a　bright；　quick　face；　freckled
  like　a　plover's　egg；　and　with　the　brisk　manner　of　a　woman　who　has
  had　her　own　way　to　make　in　the　world。
  〃You　will　excuse　my　troubling　you；　I　am　sure；〃　said　she；　as　my
  companion　rose　to　greet　her；　〃but　I　have　had　a　very　strange
  experience；　and　as　I　have　no　parents　or　relations　of　any　sort　from
  whom　I　could　ask　advice；　I　thought　that　perhaps　you　would　be　kind
  enough　to　tell　me　what　I　should　do。〃
  〃Pray　take　a　seat；　Miss　Hunter。　I　shall　be　happy　to　do　anything　that
  I　can　to　serve　you。〃
  I　could　see　that　Holmes　was　favourably　impressed　by　the　manner　and
  speech　of　his　new　client。　He　looked　her　over　in　his　searching　fashion；
  and　then　composed　himself；　with　his　lids　drooping　and　his
  finger…tips　together；　to　listen　to　her　story。
  〃I　have　been　a　governess　for　five　years；〃　said　she；　〃in　the　family
  of　Colonel　Spence　Munro；　but　two　months　ago　the　colonel　received　an
  appointment　at　Halifax；　in　Nova　Scotia；　and　took　his　children　over
  to　America　with　him；　so　that　I　found　myself　without　a　situation。　I
  advertised；　and　I　answered　advertisements；　but　without　success。　At
  last　the　little　money　which　I　had　saved　began　to　run　short；　and　I
  was　at　my　wit's　end　as　to　what　I　should　do。
  〃There　is　a　well…known　agency　for　governesses　in　the　West　End　called
  Westaway's；　and　there　I　used　to　call　about　once　a　week　in　order　to　see
  whether　anything　had　turned　up　which　might　suit　me。　Westaway　was　the
  name　of　the　founder　of　the　business；　but　it　is　really　managed　by
  Miss　Stoper。　She　sits　in　her　own　little　office；　and　the　ladies　who　are
  seeking　employment　wait　in　an　anteroom；　and　are　then　shown　in　one　by
  one；　when　she　consults　her　ledgers　and　sees　whether　she　has　anything
  which　would　suit　them。
  〃Well；　when　I　called　last　week　I　was　shown　into　the　little　office　as
  usual；　but　found　that　Miss　Stoper　was　not　alone。　A　prodigiously
  stout　man　with　a　very　smiling　face　and　a　great　heavy　chin　which　rolled
  down　in　fold　upon　fold　over　his　throat　sat　at　her　elbow　with　a　pair　of
  glasses　on　his　nose；　looking　very　earnestly　at　the　ladies　who　entered。
  As　I　came　in　he　gave　quite　a　jump　in　his　chair　and　turned　quickly　to
  Miss　Stoper。
  〃'That　will　do；'　said　he；　'I　could　not　ask　for　anything　better。
  Capital！　capital！'
  He　seemed　quite　enthusiastic　and　rubbed　his　hands　together　in　the
  most　genial　fashion。　He　was　such　a　comfortable…looking　man　that　it　was
  quite　a　pleasure　to　look　at　him。
  〃'You　are　looking　for　a　situation；　miss？'　he　asked。
  〃'Yes；　sir。'
  〃'As　governess？'
  〃'Yes；　sir。'
  〃'And　what　salary　do　you　ask？'
  〃'I　had　L4　a　month　in　my　last　place　with　Colonel　Spence　Munro。'
  〃'Oh；　tut；　tut！　sweating…rank　sweating！'　he　cried；　throwing　his
  fat　hands　out　into　the　air　like　a　man　who　is　in　a　boiling　passion。
  'How　could　anyone　offer　so　pitiful　a　sum　to　a　lady　with　such
  attractions　and　accomplishments？'
  〃'My　accomplishments；　sir；　may　be　less　than　you　imagine；'　said　I。　'A
  little　French；　a　little　German；　music；　and　drawing…'
  〃'Tut；　tut！'　he　cried。　'This　is　all　quite　beside　the　question。　The
  point　is；　have　you　or　have　you　not　the　bearing　and　deportment　of　a
  lady？　There　it　is　in　a　nutshell。　If　you　have　not；　you　are　not　fitted
  for　the　rearing　of　a　child　who　may　some　day　play　a　considerable　part
  in　the　history　of　the　country。　But　if　you　have；　why；　then；　how　could
  any　gentleman　ask　you　to　condescend　to　accept　anything　under　the　three
  figures？　Your　salary　with　me；　madam；　would　commence　at　L100　a　year。'
  〃You　may　imagine；　Mr。　Holmes；　that　to　me；　destitute　as　I　was；　such
  an　offer　seemed　almost　too　good　to　be　true。　The　gentleman；　however；