Holmescopperbeeches.docx

Holmescopperbeeches.docx

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Holmescopperbeeches

SirArthurConanDoyle

TheAdventuresofSherlockHolmes

THECOPPERBEECHES

www.world-english.org

     "Tothemanwholovesartforitsownsake,"remarkedSherlockHolmes,tossingasidetheadvertisementsheetoftheDailyTelegraph,"Itisfrequentlyinitsleastimportantandlowliestmanifestationsthatthekeenestpleasureistobederived.Itispleasanttometoobserve,Watson,thatyouhavesofargraspedthistruththatintheselittlerecordsofourcaseswhichyouhavebeengoodenoughtodrawup,and,Iamboundtosay,occasionallytoembellish,youhavegivenprominencenotsomuchtothemanycausescelebresandsensationaltrialsinwhichIhavefiguredbutrathertothoseincidentswhichmayhavebeentrivialinthemselves,butwhichhavegivenroomforthosefacultiesofdeductionandoflogicalsynthesiswhichIhavemademyspecialprovince."

     "Andyet,"saidI,smiling,"Icannotquiteholdmyselfabsolvedfromthechargeofsensationalismwhichhasbeenurgedagainstmyrecords."

     "Youhaveerred,perhaps,"heobserved,takingupaglowingcinderwiththetongsandlightingwithitthelongcherry-woodpipewhichwaswonttoreplacehisclaywhenhewasinadisputatiousratherthanameditativemood—"Youhaveerredperhapsinattemptingtoputcolorandlifeintoeachofyourstatementsinsteadofconfiningyourselftothetaskofplacinguponrecordthatseverereasoningfromcausetoeffectwhichisreallytheonlynotablefeatureaboutthething."

     "ItseemstomethatIhavedoneyoufulljusticeinthematter,"Iremarkedwithsomecoldness,forIwasrepelledbytheegotismwhichIhadmorethanonceobservedtobeastrongfactorinmyfriend'ssingularcharacter.

     "No,itisnotselfishnessorconceit,"saidhe,answering,aswashiswont,mythoughtsratherthanmywords."IfIclaimfulljusticeformyart,itisbecauseitisanimpersonalthing—athingbeyondmyself.Crimeiscommon.Logicisrare.Thereforeitisuponthelogicratherthanuponthecrimethatyoushoulddwell.Youhavedegradedwhatshouldhavebeenacourseoflecturesintoaseriesoftales."

     Itwasacoldmorningoftheearlyspring,andwesatafterbreakfastoneithersideofacheeryfireintheoldroomatBakerStreet.Athickfogrolleddownbetweenthelinesofdun-coloredhouses,andtheopposingwindowsloomedlikedark,shapelessblursthroughtheheavyyellowwreaths.Ourgaswaslitandshoneonthewhiteclothandglimmerofchinaandmetal,forthetablehadnotbeenclearedyet.SherlockHolmeshadbeensilentallthemorning,dippingcontinuouslyintotheadvertisementcolumnsofasuccessionofpapersuntilatlast,havingapparentlygivenuphissearch,hehademergedinnoverysweettempertolecturemeuponmyliteraryshortcomings.

     "Atthesametime,"heremarkedafterapause,duringwhichhehadsatpuffingathislongpipeandgazingdownintothefire,"Youcanhardlybeopentoachargeofsensationalism,foroutofthesecaseswhichyouhavebeensokindastointerestyourselfin,afairproportiondonottreatofcrime,initslegalsense,atall.ThesmallmatterinwhichIendeavoredtohelptheKingofBohemia,thesingularexperienceofMissMarySutherland,theproblemconnectedwiththemanwiththetwistedlip,andtheincidentofthenoblebachelor,wereallmatterswhichareoutsidethepaleofthelaw.Butinavoidingthesensational,Ifearthatyoumayhaveborderedonthetrivial."

     "Theendmayhavebeenso,"Ianswered,"butthemethodsIholdtohavebeennovelandofinterest."

     "Pshaw,mydearfellow,whatdothepublic,thegreatunobservantpublic,whocouldhardlytellaweaverbyhistoothoracompositorbyhisleftthumb,careaboutthefinershadesofanalysisanddeduction!

But,indeed,ifyouaretrivial.Icannotblameyou,forthedaysofthegreatcasesarepast.Man,oratleastcriminalman,haslostallenterpriseandoriginality.Astomyownlittlepractice,itseemstobedegeneratingintoanagencyforrecoveringlostleadpencilsandgivingadvicetoyoungladiesfromboarding-schools.IthinkthatIhavetouchedbottomatlast,however.ThisnoteIhadthismorningmarksmyzero-point,Ifancy.Readit!

"Hetossedacrumpledletteracrosstome.ItwasdatedfromMontaguePlaceupontheprecedingevening,andranthus:

     "DEARMR.HOLMES:

—IamveryanxioustoconsultyouastowhetherIshouldorshouldnotacceptasituationwhichhasbeenofferedtomeasgoverness.Ishallcallathalf-pasttento-morrowifIdonotinconvenienceyou.Yoursfaithfully,VIOLETHUNTER."

     "Doyouknowtheyounglady?

"Iasked.

     "NotI."

     "Itishalf-pasttennow."

     "Yes,andIhavenodoubtthatisherring."

     "Itmayturnouttobeofmoreinterestthanyouthink.Yourememberthattheaffairofthebluecarbuncle,whichappearedtobeamerewhimatfirst,developedintoaseriousinvestigation.Itmaybesointhiscase,also."

     "Well,letushopeso.Butourdoubtswillverysoonbesolved,forhere,unlessIammuchmistaken,isthepersoninquestion."

     Ashespokethedooropenedandayoungladyenteredtheroom.Shewasplainlybutneatlydressed,withabright,quickface,freckledlikeaplover'segg,andwiththebriskmannerofawomanwhohashadherownwaytomakeintheworld."Youwillexcusemytroublingyou,Iamsure,"saidshe,asmycompanionrosetogreether,"butIhavehadaverystrangeexperience,andasIhavenoparentsorrelationsofanysortfromwhomIcouldaskadvice,IthoughtthatperhapsyouwouldbekindenoughtotellmewhatIshoulddo."

     "Praytakeaseat,MissHunter.IshallbehappytodoanythingthatIcantoserveyou."IcouldseethatHolmeswasfavorablyimpressedbythemannerandspeechofhisnewclient.Helookedheroverinhissearchingfashion,andthencomposedhimself,withhislidsdroopingandhisfinger-tipstogether,tolistentoherstory.

     "Ihavebeenagovernessforfiveyears,"saidshe,"InthefamilyofColonelSpenceMunro,buttwomonthsagothecolonelreceivedanappointmentatHalifax,inNovaScotia,andtookhischildrenovertoAmericawithhim,sothatIfoundmyselfwithoutasituation.Iadvertised,andIansweredadvertisements,butwithoutsuccess.AtlastthelittlemoneywhichIhadsavedbegantorunshort,andIwasatmywit'sendastowhatIshoulddo.

     "Thereisawell-knownagencyforgovernessesintheWestEndcalledWestaway's,andthereIusedtocallaboutonceaweekinordertoseewhetheranythinghadturnedupwhichmightsuitme.Westawaywasthenameofthefounderofthebusiness,butitisreallymanagedbyMissStoper.Shesitsinherownlittleoffice,andtheladieswhoareseekingemploymentwaitinananteroom,andarethenshowninonebyone,whensheconsultsherledgersandseeswhethershehasanythingwhichwouldsuitthem.

     "Well,whenIcalledlastweekIwasshownintothelittleofficeasusual,butIfoundthatMissStoperwasnotalone.Aprodigiouslystoutmanwithaverysmilingfaceandagreatheavychinwhichrolleddowninfolduponfoldoverhisthroatsatatherelbowwithapairofglassesonhisnose,lookingveryearnestlyattheladieswhoentered.AsIcameinhegavequiteajumpinhischairandturnedquicklytoMissStoper.

     "'Thatwilldo,'saidhe;'Icouldnotaskforanythingbetter.Capital!

capital!

'Heseemedquiteenthusiasticandrubbedhishandstogetherinthemostgenialfashion.Hewassuchacomfortable-lookingmanthatitwasquiteapleasuretolookathim.

     "'Youarelookingforasituation,miss?

'heasked.

     "'Yes,sir.'

     "'Asgoverness?

'

     "'Yes,sir.'

     "'Andwhatsalarydoyouask?

'

     "'Ihad4poundsamonthinmylastplacewithColonelSpenceMunro.'

     "'Oh,tut,tut!

sweating—ranksweating!

'hecried,throwinghisfathandsoutintotheairlikeamanwhoisinaboilingpassion.'Howcouldanyoneoffersopitifulasumtoaladywithsuchattractionsandaccomplishments?

'

     "'Myaccomplishments,sir,maybelessthanyouimagine,'saidI.'AlittleFrench,alittleGerman,music,anddrawing—'

     "'Tut,tut!

'hecried.'Thisisallquitebesidethequestion.Thepointis,haveyouorhaveyounotthebearinganddeportmentofalady?

Thereitisinanutshell.Ifyouhavenot,youarenotfinedfortherearingofachildwhomaysomedayplayaconsiderablepartinthehistoryofthecountry.Butifyouhavewhy,then,howcouldanygentlemanaskyoutocondescendtoacceptanythingunderthethreefigures?

Yoursalarywithme,madam,wouldcommenceat100poundsayear.'

     "Youmayimagine,Mr.Holmes,thattome,destituteasIwas,suchanofferseemedalmosttoogoodtobetrue.Thegentleman,however,seeingperhapsthelookofincredulityuponmyface,openedapocket-bookandtookoutanote.

     "'Itisalsomycustom,'saidhe,smilinginthemostpleasantfashionuntilhiseyeswerejusttwolittleshiningslitsamidthewhitecreasesofhisface,'toadvancetomyyoungladieshalftheirsalarybeforehand,sothattheymaymeetanylittleexpensesoftheirjourneyandtheirwardrobe.'

     "ItseemedtomethatIhadnevermetsofascinatingandsothoughtfulaman.AsIwasalreadyindebttomytradesmen,theadvancewasagreatconvenience,andyettherewassomethingunnaturalaboutthewholetransactionwhichmademewishtoknowalittlemorebeforeIquitecommittedmyself.

     "'MayIaskwhereyoulive,sir?

'saidI.

     "'Hampshire.Charmingruralplace.TheCopperBeeches,fivemilesonthefarsideofWinchester.Itisthemostlovelycountry,mydearyounglady,andthedearestoldcountry-house.'

     "'