The Sign of the Four

ement of

immed and unbraided, and she wore a small turban of the same dull hue, relieved only by a suspicion of white feather in the side. Her face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of complexion, but her expression was sweet and amiable, and her large blue eyes were singularly spiritual and sympathetic. In an experience of women wh

led my employer, Mrs. Cecil Forrester, to unravel a little domesti

elieve that I was of some slight service to her. The c

f mine. I can hardly imagine anything more strange, more utte

chair with an expression of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-cut

assing one. "You will, I am sure, exc

o detain me. "If your friend," she said, "would be good

ed into

eave and came home. He telegraphed to me from London that he had arrived all safe, and directed me to come down at once, giving the Langham Hotel as his address. His message, as I remember, was full of kindness and love. On reaching London I drove to the Langham, and was informed that Captain Morstan was staying there, but that he had gone out the night before and had not yet returned. I waited all day without news

d Holmes, openin

e 3d of December, 1878,

lug

hes, some books, and a considerable number of curiosities from the Andaman I

ny friend

The major had retired some little time before, and lived at Upper Norwood. We communicat

case," rem

y of Mrs. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess. By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column. The same day there arrived through the post a small card-board box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl. No word of writing was enclosed. Since then every year upon the same date ther

ing," said Sherlock Holmes. "Has

ave come to you. This morning I received this l

ticular man in his stationery. No address. 'Be at the third pillar from the left outside the Lyceum Theatre to-night at seven o'clock. If you are distrustful, bring two friends. You are a wronged

tly what I wa

why, Dr. Watson is the very man. Your correspondent s

ed, with something appealing

py," said I, fervently, "i

a retired life, and have no friends whom I could a

one other point, however. Is this handwriting

answered, producing half

ey are disguised hands, except the letter," he said, presently, "but there can be no question as to the authorship. See how the irrepressible Greek e will break out, and see the twirl

ould be mo

at six. Pray allow me to keep the papers. I may look into the m

placed her pearl-box in her bosom and hurried away. Standing at the window, I watched her walking br

woman!" I exclaimed, t

ng back with drooping eyelids. "Is she?"

ting-machine!" I cried. "There is somet

a problem. The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning. I assure you that the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little ch

case, h

le. Have you ever had occasion to study character in ha

nswered. "A man of business habi

differentiate their long letters, however illegibly they may write. There is vacillation in his k's and self-esteem in his capitals. I am going out now. I have so

rance she must be seven-and-twenty now,-a sweet age, when youth has lost its self-consciousness and become a little sobered by experience. So I sat and mused, until such dangerous thoughts came into my head that I hurried away to my desk and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon pathology.