matter　dropped。　　I　turn　to　you；　Mr。　Holmes；　as
  absolutely　my　last　hope。　　If　you　fail　me；　then　my
  honor　as　well　as　my　position　are　forever　forfeited。〃
  The　invalid　sank　back　upon　his　cushions；　tired　out　by
  this　long　recital；　while　his　nurse　poured　him　out　a
  glass　of　some　stimulating　medicine。　　Holmes　sat
  silently；　with　his　head　thrown　back　and　his　eyes
  closed；　in　an　attitude　which　might　seem　listless　to　a
  stranger；　but　which　I　knew　betokened　the　most　intense
  self…absorption。
  〃You　statement　has　been　so　explicit；〃　said　he　at　last；
  〃that　you　have　really　left　me　very　few　questions　to
  ask。　　There　is　one　of　the　very　utmost　importance；
  however。　　Did　you　tell　any　one　that　you　had　this
  special　task　to　perform？〃
  〃No　one。〃
  〃Not　Miss　Harrison　here；　for　example？〃
  〃No。　　I　had　not　been　back　to　Woking　between　getting
  the　order　and　executing　the　commission。〃
  〃And　none　of　your　people　had　by　chance　been　to　see
  you？〃
  〃None。〃
  〃Did　any　of　them　know　their　way　about　in　the　office？〃
  〃Oh；　yes；　all　of　them　had　been　shown　over　it。〃
  〃Still；　of　course；　if　you　said　nothing　to　any　one
  about　the　treaty　these　inquiries　are　irrelevant。〃
  〃I　said　nothing。〃
  〃Do　you　know　anything　of　the　commissionnaire？〃
  〃Nothing　except　that　he　is　an　old　soldier。〃
  〃What　regiment？〃
  〃Oh；　I　have　heardColdstream　Guards。〃
  〃Thank　you。　　I　have　no　doubt　I　can　get　details　from
  Forbes。　　The　authorities　are　excellent　at　amassing
  facts；　though　they　do　not　always　use　them　to
  advantage。　　What　a　lovely　thing　a　rose　is！〃
  He　walked　past　the　couch　to　the　open　window；　and　held
  up　the　drooping　stalk　of　a　moss…rose；　looking　down　at
  the　dainty　blend　of　crimson　and　green。　　It　was　a　new
  phase　of　his　character　to　me；　for　I　had　never　before
  seen　him　show　any　keen　interest　in　natural　objects。
  〃There　is　nothing　in　which　deduction　is　so　necessary
  as　in　religion；〃　said　he；　leaning　with　his　back
  against　the　shutters。　　〃It　can　be　built　up　as　an　exact
  science　by　the　reasoner。　　Our　highest　assurance　of　the
  goodness　of　Providence　seems　to　me　to　rest　in　the
  flowers。　　All　other　things；　our　powers　our　desires；
  our　food；　are　all　really　necessary　for　our　existence
  in　the　first　instance。　　But　this　rose　is　an　extra。
  Its　smell　and　its　color　are　an　embellishment　of　life；
  not　a　condition　of　it。　　It　is　only　goodness　which
  gives　extras；　and　so　I　say　again　that　we　have　much　to
  hope　from　the　flowers。
  Percy　Phelps　and　his　nurse　looked　at　Holmes　during
  this　demonstration　with　surprise　and　a　good　deal　of
  disappointment　written　upon　their　faces。　　He　had
  fallen　into　a　reverie；　with　the　moss…rose　between　his
  fingers。　　It　had　lasted　some　minutes　before　the　young
  lady　broke　in　upon　it。
  〃Do　you　see　any　prospect　of　solving　this　mystery；　Mr。
  Holmes？〃　she　asked；　with　a　touch　of　asperity　in　her
  voice。
  〃Oh；　the　mystery！〃　he　answered；　coming　back　with　a
  start　to　the　realities　of　life。　　〃Well；　it　would　be
  absurd　to　deny　that　the　case　is　a　very　abstruse　and
  complicated　one；　but　I　can　promise　you　that　I　will
  look　into　the　matter　and　let　you　know　any　points　which
  may　strike　me。〃
  〃Do　you　see　any　clue？〃
  〃You　have　furnished　me　with　seven；　but；　of　course；　I
  must　test　them　before　I　can　pronounce　upon　their
  value。〃
  〃You　suspect　some　one？〃
  〃I　suspect　myself。〃
  〃What！〃
  〃Of　coming　to　conclusions　to　rapidly。〃
  〃Then　go　to　London　and　test　your　conclusions。〃
  〃Your　advice　is　very　excellent；　Miss　Harrison；〃　said
  Holmes；　rising。　　〃I　think；　Watson；　we　cannot　do
  better。　　Do　not　allow　yourself　to　indulge　in　false
  hopes；　Mr。　Phelps。　　The　affair　is　a　very　tangled　one。〃
  〃I　shall　be　in　a　fever　until　I　see　you　again；〃　cried
  the　diplomatist。
  〃Well；　I'll　come　out　be　the　same　train　to…morrow；
  though　it's　more　than　likely　that　my　report　will　be　a
  negative　one。〃
  〃God　bless　you　for　promising　to　come；〃　cried　our
  client。　　〃It　gives　me　fresh　life　to　know　that
  something　is　being　done。　　By　the　way；　I　have　had　a
  letter　from　Lord　Holdhurst。〃
  〃Ha！　　What　did　he　say？〃
  〃He　was　cold；　but　not　harsh。　　I　dare　say　my　severe
  illness　prevented　him　from　being　that。　　He　repeated
  that　the　matter　was　of　the　utmost　importance；　and
  added　that　no　steps　would　be　taken　about　my　futureby
  which　he　means；　of　course；　my　dismissaluntil　my
  health　was　restored　and　I　had　an　opportunity　of
  repairing　my　misfortune。〃
  〃Well；　that　was　reasonable　and　considerate；〃　said
  Holmes。　　〃Come；　Watson；　for　we　have　a　goody　day's　work
  before　us　in　town。〃
  Mr。　Joseph　Harrison　drove　us　down　to　the　station；　and
  we　were　soon　whirling　up　in　a　Portsmouth　train。
  Holmes　was　sunk　in　profound　thought；　and　hardly　opened
  his　mouth　until　we　had　passed　Clapham　Junction。
  〃It's　a　very　cheery　thing　to　come　into　London　by　any
  of　these　lines　which　run　high；　and　allow　you　to　look
  down　upon　the　houses　like　this。〃
  I　thought　he　was　joking；　for　the　view　was　sordid
  enough；　but　he　soon　explained　himself。
  〃Look　at　those　big；　isolated　clumps　of　building　rising
  up　above　the　slates；　like　brick　islands　in　a
  lead…colored　sea。〃
  〃The　board…schools。〃
  〃Light…houses；　my　boy！　　Beacons　of　the　future！
  Capsules　with　hundreds　of　bright　little　seeds　in　each；
  out　of　which　will　spring　the　wise；　better　England　of
  the　future。　　I　suppose　that　man　Phelps　does　not
  drink？〃
  〃I　should　not　think　so。〃
  〃Nor　should　I；　but　we　are　bound　to　take　every
  possibility　into　account。　　The　poor　devil　has
  certainly　got　himself　into　very　deep　water；　and　it's　a
  question　whether　we　shall　ever　be　able　to　get　him
  ashore。　　What　did　you　think　of　Miss　Harrison？〃
  〃A　girl　of　strong　character。〃
  〃Yes；　but　she　is　a　good　sort；　or　I　am　mistaken。　　She
  and　her　brother　are　the　only　children　of　an
  iron…master　somewhere　up　Northumberland　way。　　He　got
  engaged　to　her　when　traveling　last　winter；　and　she
  came　down　to　be　introduced　to　his　people；　with　her
  brother　as　escort。　　Then　came　the　smash；　and　she
  stayed　on　to　nurse　her　lover；　while　brother　Joseph；
  finding　himself　pretty　snug；　stayed　on　too。　　I've　been
  making　a　few　independent　inquiries；　you　see。　　But
  to…day　must　be　a　day　of　inquiries。〃
  〃My　practice〃　I　began。
  〃Oh；　if　you　find　your　own　cases　more　interesting　than
  mine〃　said　Holmes；　with　some　asperity。
  〃I　was　going　to　say　that　my　practice　could　get　along
  very　well　for　a　day　or　two；　since　it　is　the　slackest
  time　in　the　year。〃
  〃Excellent；〃　said　he；　recovering　his　good…humor。
  〃Then　we'll　look　into　this　matter　together。　　I　think
  that　we　should　begin　be　seeing　Forbes。　　He　can
  probably　tell　us　all　the　details　we　want　until　we　know
  from　what　side　the　case　is　to　be　approached。
  〃You　said　you　had　a　clue？〃
  〃Well；　we　have　several；　but　we　can　only　test　their
  value　by　further　inquiry。　　The　most　difficult　crime　to
  track　is　the　one　which　is　purposeless。　　Now　this　is
  not　purposeless。　　Who　is　it　who　profits　by　it？　　There
  is　the　French　ambassador；　there　is　the　Russian；　there
  is　who…ever　might　sell　it　to　either　of　these；　and
  there　is　Lord　Holdhurst。〃
  〃Lord　Holdhurst！〃
  〃Well；　it　is　just　conceivable　that　a　statesman　might
  find　himself　in　a　position　where　he　was　not　sorry　to
  have　such　a　document　accidentally　destroyed。〃
  〃Not　a　statesman　wit　the　honorable　record　of　Lord
  Holdhurst？〃
  〃It　is　a　possibility　and　we　cannot　afford　to　disregard
  it。　　We　shall　see　the　noble　lord　to…day　and　find　out
  if　he　can　tell　us　anything。　　Meanwhile　I　have　already
  set　inquiries　on　foot。〃
  〃Already？〃
  〃Yes；　I　sent　wires　from　Woking　station　to　every
  evening　paper　in　London。　　This　advertisement　will
  appear　in　each　of　them。〃
  He　handed　over　a　sheet　torn　from　a　note…book。　　On　it
  was　scribbled　in　pencil：　　〃L10　reward。　　The　number　of
  the　cab　which　dropped　a　fare　at　or　about　the　door　of
  the　Foreign　Office　in　Charles　Street　at　quarter　to　ten
  in　the　evening　of　May　23d。　　Apply　221　B；　Baker
  Street。〃
  〃You　are　confident　that　the　thief　came　in　a　cab？〃
  〃If　not；　there　is　no　harm　done。　　But　if　Mr。　Phelps　is
  correct　in　stating　that　there　is　no　hiding…place
  either　in　the　room　or　the　corridors；　then　the　person
  must　have　come　from　outside。　　If　he　came　from　outside
  on　so　wet　a　night；　and　yet　left　no　trace　of　damp　upon
  the　linoleum；　which　was　examined　within　a　few　minutes
  of　his　passing；　then　it　is　exceeding　probably　that　he
  came　in　a　cab。　　Yes；　I　think　that　we　may　safely　deduce
  a　cab。〃
  〃It　sounds　plausible。〃
  〃That　is　one　of　the　clues　of　which　I　spoke。　　It　may
  lead　us　to　something。　　And　then；　of　course；　there　is
  the　bellwhich　is　the　most　distinctive　feature　of　the
  case。　　Why　should　the　bell　ring？　　Was　it　the　thief　who
  did　it　out　of　bravado？　　Or　was　it　some　one　who　was
  with　the　thief　who　did　it　in　order　to　prevent　the
  crime？　　Or　was　it　an　accident？　　Or　was　it？〃　　He　sank
  back　into　the　state　of　i