DarqueDante/test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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you have described. You must also put in a note to say that all the
other papers were burned by your uncle, and that this is the only one
which remains. You must assert that in such words as will carry
conviction with them. Having done this, you must at once put the box
out upon the sundial, as directed. Do you understand?"

"Entirely."

"Do not think of revenge, or anything of the sort, at present. I
think that we may gain that by means of the law; but we have our web
to weave, while theirs is already woven. The first consideration is
to remove the pressing danger which threatens you. The second is to
clear up the mystery and to punish the guilty parties."

"I thank you," said the young man, rising and pulling on his
overcoat. "You have given me fresh life and hope. I shall certainly
do as you advise."

"Do not lose an instant. And, above all, take care of yourself in the
meanwhile, for I do not think that there can be a doubt that you are
threatened by a very real and imminent danger. How do you go back?"

"By train from Waterloo."

"It is not yet nine. The streets will be crowded, so I trust that you
may be in safety. And yet you cannot guard yourself too closely."

"I am armed."

"That is well. To-morrow I shall set to work upon your case."

"I shall see you at Horsham, then?"

"No, your secret lies in London. It is there that I shall seek it."

"Then I shall call upon you in a day, or in two days, with news as to
the box and the papers. I shall take your advice in every
particular." He shook hands with us and took his leave. Outside the
wind still screamed and the rain splashed and pattered against the
windows. This strange, wild story seemed to have come to us from amid
the mad elements--blown in upon us like a sheet of sea-weed in a
gale--and now to have been reabsorbed by them once more.

Sherlock Holmes sat for some time in silence, with his head sunk
forward and his eyes bent upon the red glow of the fire. Then he lit
his pipe, and leaning back in his chair he watched the blue
smoke-rings as they chased each other up to the ceiling.

"I think, Watson," he remarked at last, "that of all our cases we
have had none more fantastic than this."

"Save, perhaps, the Sign of Four."

"Well, yes. Save, perhaps, that. And yet this John Openshaw seems to
me to be walking amid even greater perils than did the Sholtos."

"But have you," I asked, "formed any definite conception as to what
these perils are?"

"There can be no question as to their nature," he answered.

"Then what are they? Who is this K. K. K., and why does he pursue
this unhappy family?"

Sherlock Holmes closed his eyes and placed his elbows upon the arms
of his chair, with his finger-tips together. "The ideal reasoner," he
remarked, "would, when he had once been shown a single fact in all
its bearings, deduce from it not only all the chain of events which
led up to it but also all the results which would follow from it. As
Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation
of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one
link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all
the other ones, both before and after. We have not yet grasped the
results which the reason alone can attain to. Problems may be solved
in the study which have baffled all those who have sought a solution
by the aid of their senses. To carry the art, however, to its highest
pitch, it is necessary that the reasoner should be able to utilise
all the facts which have come to his knowledge; and this in itself
implies, as you will readily see, a possession of all knowledge,
which, even in these days of free education and encyclopaedias, is a
somewhat rare accomplishment. It is not so impossible, however, that
a man should possess all knowledge which is likely to be useful to
him in his work, and this I have endeavoured in my case to do. If I
remember rightly, you on one occasion, in the early days of our
friendship, defined my limits in a very precise fashion."

"Yes," I answered, laughing. "It was a singular document. Philosophy,
astronomy, and politics were marked at zero, I remember. Botany
variable, geology profound as regards the mud-stains from any region
within fifty miles of town, chemistry eccentric, anatomy
unsystematic, sensational literature and crime records unique,
violin-player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and self-poisoner by cocaine
and tobacco. Those, I think, were the main points of my analysis."

Holmes grinned at the last item. "Well," he said, "I say now, as I
said then, that a man should keep his little brain-attic stocked with
all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put
away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he
wants it. Now, for such a case as the one which has been submitted to
us to-night, we need certainly to muster all our resources. Kindly

you have described. You must also put in a note to say that all the

other papers were burned by your uncle, and that this is the only one

which remains. You must assert that in such words as will carry

conviction with them. Having done this, you must at once put the box

out upon the sundial, as directed. Do you understand?"

"Entirely."

"Do not think of revenge, or anything of the sort, at present. I

think that we may gain that by means of the law; but we have our web

to weave, while theirs is already woven. The first consideration is

to remove the pressing danger which threatens you. The second is to

clear up the mystery and to punish the guilty parties."

"I thank you," said the young man, rising and pulling on his

overcoat. "You have given me fresh life and hope. I shall certainly

do as you advise."

"Do not lose an instant. And, above all, take care of yourself in the

meanwhile, for I do not think that there can be a doubt that you are

threatened by a very real and imminent danger. How do you go back?"

"By train from Waterloo."

"It is not yet nine. The streets will be crowded, so I trust that you

may be in safety. And yet you cannot guard yourself too closely."

"I am armed."

"That is well. To-morrow I shall set to work upon your case."

"I shall see you at Horsham, then?"

"No, your secret lies in London. It is there that I shall seek it."

"Then I shall call upon you in a day, or in two days, with news as to

the box and the papers. I shall take your advice in every

particular." He shook hands with us and took his leave. Outside the

wind still screamed and the rain splashed and pattered against the

windows. This strange, wild story seemed to have come to us from amid

the mad elements--blown in upon us like a sheet of sea-weed in a

gale--and now to have been reabsorbed by them once more.

Sherlock Holmes sat for some time in silence, with his head sunk

forward and his eyes bent upon the red glow of the fire. Then he lit

his pipe, and leaning back in his chair he watched the blue

smoke-rings as they chased each other up to the ceiling.

"I think, Watson," he remarked at last, "that of all our cases we

have had none more fantastic than this."

"Save, perhaps, the Sign of Four."

"Well, yes. Save, perhaps, that. And yet this John Openshaw seems to

me to be walking amid even greater perils than did the Sholtos."

"But have you," I asked, "formed any definite conception as to what

these perils are?"

"There can be no question as to their nature," he answered.

"Then what are they? Who is this K. K. K., and why does he pursue

this unhappy family?"

Sherlock Holmes closed his eyes and placed his elbows upon the arms

of his chair, with his finger-tips together. "The ideal reasoner," he

remarked, "would, when he had once been shown a single fact in all

its bearings, deduce from it not only all the chain of events which

led up to it but also all the results which would follow from it. As

Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation

of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one

link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all

the other ones, both before and after. We have not yet grasped the

results which the reason alone can attain to. Problems may be solved

in the study which have baffled all those who have sought a solution

by the aid of their senses. To carry the art, however, to its highest

pitch, it is necessary that the reasoner should be able to utilise

all the facts which have come to his knowledge; and this in itself

implies, as you will readily see, a possession of all knowledge,

which, even in these days of free education and encyclopaedias, is a

somewhat rare accomplishment. It is not so impossible, however, that

a man should possess all knowledge which is likely to be useful to

him in his work, and this I have endeavoured in my case to do. If I

remember rightly, you on one occasion, in the early days of our

friendship, defined my limits in a very precise fashion."

"Yes," I answered, laughing. "It was a singular document. Philosophy,

astronomy, and politics were marked at zero, I remember. Botany

variable, geology profound as regards the mud-stains from any region

within fifty miles of town, chemistry eccentric, anatomy

unsystematic, sensational literature and crime records unique,

violin-player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and self-poisoner by cocaine

and tobacco. Those, I think, were the main points of my analysis."

Holmes grinned at the last item. "Well," he said, "I say now, as I

said then, that a man should keep his little brain-attic stocked with

all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put

away in the lumber-room of his library, where he can get it if he

wants it. Now, for such a case as the one which has been submitted to

us to-night, we need certainly to muster all our resources. Kindly