Holmesfinalproblem.docx

Holmesfinalproblem.docx

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Holmesfinalproblem

SirArthurConanDoyle

TheMemoirsofSherlockHolmes

TheFinalProblem

www.world-english.org

     ItiswithaheavyheartthatItakeupmypentowritethesethelastwordsinwhichIshalleverrecordthesingulargiftsbywhichmyfriendMr.SherlockHolmeswasdistinguished.Inanincoherentand,asIdeeplyfeel,anentirelyinadequatefashion,Ihaveendeavoredtogivesomeaccountofmystrangeexperiencesinhiscompanyfromthechancewhichfirstbroughtustogetherattheperiodofthe"StudyinScarlet,"uptothetimeofhisinterferenceinthematterofthe"NavalTreaty"—andinterferencewhichhadtheunquestionableeffectofpreventingaseriousinternationalcomplication.

     Itwasmyintentiontohavestoppedthere,andtohavesaidnothingofthateventwhichhascreatedavoidinmylifewhichthelapseoftwoyearshasdonelittletofill.Myhandhasbeenforced,however,bytherecentlettersinwhichColonelJamesMoriartydefendsthememoryofhisbrother,andIhavenochoicebuttolaythefactsbeforethepublicexactlyastheyoccurred.Ialoneknowtheabsolutetruthofthematter,andIamsatisfiedthatthetimehascomewhenongoodpurposeistobeservedbyitssuppression.

     AsfarasIknow,therehavebeenonlythreeaccountsinthepublicpress:

thatintheJournaldeGenèveonMay6th,1891,theReutersdispatchintheEnglishpapersonMay7th,andfinallytherecentlettertowhichIhavealluded.Ofthesethefirstandsecondwereextremelycondensed,whilethelastis,asIshallnowshow,anabsoluteperversionofthefacts.

     ItlieswithmetotellforthefirsttimewhatreallytookplacebetweenProfessorMoriartyandMr.SherlockHolmes.Itmayberememberedthataftermymarriage,andmysubsequentstartinprivatepractice,theveryintimaterelationswhichhadexistedbetweenHolmesandmyselfbecametosomeextentmodified.Hestillcametomefromtimetotimewhenhedesiredacompanioninhisinvestigation,buttheseoccasionsgrewmoreandmoreseldom,untilIfindthatintheyear1890therewereonlythreecasesofwhichIretainanyrecord.Duringthewinterofthatyearandtheearlyspringof1891,IsawinthepapersthathehadbeenengagedbytheFrenchgovernmentuponamatterofsupremeimportance,andIreceivedtwonotesfromHolmes,datedfromNarbonneandfromNimes,fromwhichIgatheredthathisstayinFrancewaslikelytobealongone.

     Itwaswithsomesurprise,therefore,thatIsawhimwalkintomyconsulting-roomupontheeveningofApril24th.Itstruckmethathewaslookingevenpalerandthinnerthanusual."Yes,Ihavebeenusingmyselfuprathertoofreely,"heremarked,inanswertomylookratherthantomywords;"Ihavebeenalittlepressedoflate.Haveyouanyobjectiontomyclosingyourshutters?

"

     TheonlylightintheroomcamefromthelampuponthetableatwhichIhadbeenreading.Holmesedgedhiswayroundthewallandflingingtheshutterstogether,heboltedthemsecurely.

     "Youareafraidofsomething?

"Iasked.

     "Well,Iam."

     "Ofwhat?

"

     "Ofair-guns."

     "MydearHolmes,whatdoyoumean?

"

     "Ithinkthatyouknowmewellenough,Watson,tounderstandthatIambynomeansanervousman.Atthesametime,itisstupidityratherthancouragetorefusetorecognizedangerwhenitiscloseuponyou.MightItroubleyouforamatch?

"Hedrewinthesmokeofhiscigaretteasifthesoothinginfluencewasgratefultohim.

     "Imustapologizeforcallingsolate,"saidhe,"andImustfurtherbegyoutobesounconventionalastoallowmetoleaveyourhousepresentlybyscramblingoveryourbackgardenwall."

     "Butwhatdoesitallmean?

"Iasked.

     Heheldouthishand,andIsawinthelightofthelampthattwoofhisknuckleswereburstandbleeding."Itisnotanairynothing,yousee,"saidhe,smiling."Onthecontrary,itissolidenoughforamantobreakhishandover.IsMrs.Watsonin?

"

     "Sheisawayuponavisit."

     "Indeed!

Youarealone?

"

     "Quite."

     "ThenitmakesittheeasierformetoproposethatyoushouldcomeawaywithmeforaweektotheContinent."

     "Where?

"

     "Oh,anywhere.It'sallthesametome."

     Therewassomethingverystrangeinallthis.ItwasnotHolmes'snaturetotakeanaimlessholiday,andsomethingabouthispale,wornfacetoldmethathisnerveswereattheirhighesttension.

     Hesawthequestioninmyeyes,and,puttinghisfingertipstogetherandhiselbowsuponhisknees,heexplainedthesituation."YouhaveprobablyneverheardofProfessorMoriarty?

"saidhe.

     "Never."

     "Aye,there'sthegeniusandthewonderofthething!

"hecried."ThemanpervadesLondon,andnoonehasheardofhim.That'swhatputshimonapinnacleintherecordsofcrime.Itellyou,Watson,inallseriousness,thatifIcouldbeatthatman,ifIcouldfreesocietyofhim,Ishouldfeelthatmyowncareerhadreacheditssummit,andIshouldbepreparedtoturntosomemoreplacidlineinlife.Betweenourselves,therecentcasesinwhichIhavebeenofassistancetotheroyalfamilyofScandinavia,andtotheFrenchrepublic,haveleftmeinsuchapositionthatIcouldcontinuetoliveinthequietfashionwhichismostcongenialtome,andtoconcentratemyattentionuponmychemicalresearches.ButIcouldnotrest,Watson,Icouldnotsitquietinmychair,ifIthoughtthatsuchamanasProfessorMoriartywerewalkingthestreetsofLondonunchallenged."

     "Whathashedone,then?

"

     "Hiscareerhasbeenanextraordinaryone.Heisamanofgoodbirthandexcellenteducation,endowedbynaturewithaphenomenalmathematicalfaculty.Attheageoftwenty-onehewroteatreatiseupontheBinomialTheorem,whichhashadaEuropeanvogue.OnthestrengthofithewontheMathematicalChairatoneofoursmalleruniversities,andhad,toallappearance,amostbrilliantcareerbeforehim.Butthemanhadhereditarytendenciesofthemostdiabolicalkind.Acriminalstrainraninhisblood,which,insteadofbeingmodified,wasincreasedandrenderedinfinitelymoredangerousbyhisextraordinarymentalpowers.Darkrumorsgatheredroundhimintheuniversitytown,andeventuallyhewascompelledtoresignhischairandtocomedowntoLondon,wherehesetupasanarmycoach.Somuchisknowntotheworld,butwhatIamtellingyounowiswhatIhavemyselfdiscovered.

     "Asyouareaware,Watson,thereisnoonewhoknowsthehighercriminalworldofLondonsowellasIdo.ForyearspastIhavecontinuallybeenconsciousofsomepowerbehindthemalefactor,somedeeporganizingpowerwhichforeverstandsinthewayofthelaw,andthrowsitsshieldoverthewrongdoer.Againandagainincasesofthemostvaryingsorts—forgerycases,robberies,murders—Ihavefeltthepresenceofthisforce,andIhavededuceditsactioninmanyofthoseundiscoveredcrimesinwhichIhavenotbeenpersonallyconsulted.ForyearsIhaveendeavoredtobreakthroughtheveilwhichshroudedit,andatlastthetimecamewhenIseizedmythreadandfollowedit,untilitledme,afterathousandcunningwindings,toex-ProfessorMoriartyofmathematicalcelebrity.

     "HeistheNapoleonofcrime,Watson.Heistheorganizerofhalfthatisevilandofnearlyallthatisundetectedinthisgreatcity.Heisagenius,aphilosopher,anabstractthinker.Hehasabrainofthefirstorder.Hesitsmotionless,likeaspiderinthecenterofitsweb,butthatwebhasathousandradiations,andheknowswelleveryquiverofeachofthem.Hedoeslittlehimself.Heonlyplans.Buthisagentsarenumerousandsplendidlyorganized.Isthereacrimetobedone,apapertobeabstracted,wewillsay,ahousetoberifled,amantoberemoved—thewordispassedtotheProfessor,thematterisorganizedandcarriedout.Theagentmaybecaught.InthatcasemoneyisfoundforhisbailorhisdefenseButthecentralpowerwhichusestheagentisnevercaught—neversomuchassuspected.ThiswastheorganizationwhichIdeduced,Watson,andwhichIdevotedmywholeenergytoexposingandbreakingup.

     "ButtheProfessorwasfencedroundwithsafeguardssocunninglydevisedthat,dowhatIwould,itseemedimpossibletogetevidencewhichwouldconvictinacourtoflaw.Youknowmypowers,mydearWatson,andyetattheendofthreemonthsIwasforcedtoconfessthatIhadatlastmetanantagonistwhowasmyintellectualequal.Myhorrorathiscrimeswaslostinmyadmirationathisskill.Butatlasthemadeatrip—onlyalittle,littletrip—butitwasmorethanhecouldaffordwhenIwassocloseuponhim.Ihadmychance,and,startingfromthatpoint,Ihavewovenmynetroundhimuntilnowitisallreadytoclose.Inthreedays—thatistosay,onMondaynext—matterswillberipe,andtheProfessor,withalltheprincipalmembersofhisgang,willbeinthehandsofthepolice.Thenwillcomethegreatestcriminaltrialofthecentury,theclearingupofoverfortymysteries,andtheropeforallofthem;butifwemoveatallprematurely,youunderstand,theymayslipoutofourhandsevenatthelastmoment.

     "Now,ifIcouldhavedonethiswithouttheknowledgeofProfessorMoriarty,allwouldhavebeenwell.Buthewastoowilyforthat.HesaweverystepwhichItooktodrawmytoilsroundhim.Againandagainhestrovetobreakaway,butIasoftenheadedhimoff.Itellyou,myfriend,thatifadetailedaccountofthatsilentcontestcouldbewritten,itwouldtakeitsplaceasthemostbrilliantbitofthrust-and-parryworkinthehistoryofdetection.NeverhaveIrisentosuchaheight,andneverhaveIbeensohardpressedbyanopponent.Hecutdeep,andyetIjustundercuthim.Thismornin