1d) I have seen it on him , and could [swear] to it .
2e) They seize him and use violence towards him in order to make him sign some papers to make over the girl's [fortune] of which he may be trustee to them .
3d) My morning's work has not been [wasted] , since it has proved that he has the very strongest motives for standing in the way of anything of the sort .
4e) It was furred outside by a thick layer of dust , and damp and worms had eaten through the wood , so that a crop of livid fungi was [growing] on the inside of it .
5d) Presently he emerged , looking even more [flurried] than before .
6d) We took no [pains] to hide it .
7d) I stared at it [horror-stricken] , not knowing what was about to issue from it .
8b) The probability was , therefore , that she was [telling] the truth , or , at least , a part of the truth .
9d) The furniture was scattered about in every direction , with dismantled shelves and open drawers , as if the lady had hurriedly [ransacked] them before her flight .
10a) The sun had set and [dusk] was settling over the moor .
11b) Round one of his hands he had a [handkerchief] wrapped , which was mottled all over with bloodstains .
12e) During two years I have had three [consultations] and one small job , and that is absolutely all that my profession has brought me .
13c) His characteristic talk , with its keen [observance] of detail and subtle power of inference held me amused and enthralled .
14a) Ferguson remained outside , and the [colonel] ushered me in .
15d) He turned the two best [rooms] of the first floor into a sitting-room and bedroom for himself .
16e) We are but [preventing] her from injuring another .
17b) The darkness was [rising] , but much was still hidden by the shadows .
18a) After throwing down your paper , which was the [action] which drew my attention to you , you sat for half a minute with a vacant expression .
19a) These good people were absolutely ignorant that their land contained that which was quite as [valuable] as a gold-mine .
20a) There were several people on the [pavement] at the time , but the greeting appeared to come from a slim youth in an ulster who had hurried by .
21e) When his body had been carried from the cellar we found ourselves still confronted with a problem which was almost as [formidable] as that with which we had started .
22c) This press , as I have already [explained] , has got out of order , and we wish your advice upon the subject .
23d) There was something that touched me as I read this letter , something [pitiable] in the reiterated appeals to bring Holmes .
24e) I rose and examined carefully the different [billets] of wood which were scattered round the floor .
25e) Every day , and sometimes [twice] a day , I have been able but wait a moment , Dr. Watson .
26a) It may be that the solution of the one may [prove] to be the solution of the other .
27a) We shall just be in time to have a little [breakfast] with him .
28c) It was a quarter-past [nine] when I started from home and made my way across the Park , and so through Oxford Street to Baker Street .
29c) I stooped under the rude lintel , and there he sat upon a [stone] outside , his gray eyes dancing with amusement as they fell upon my astonished features .
30e) I was tortured and tried to get away , and was [captured] and tortured again .
31d) He carries some [creature] about with him in that box ; about which the landlady seemed to be in considerable trepidation , for she had never seen an animal like it .
32a) With a stout [bearing] , therefore , though her manner had shaken me more than I cared to confess , I still shook my head and declared my intention of remaining where I was .
33a) I act [entirely] from a sense of public duty .
34a) Besides , remember that she had [resolved] to use it within a few days .
35b) I have every reason to believe that we shall be in time to [stop] it .
36e) It was quite certain that he had [foreseen] his fate , and that it had caused him the utmost horror .
37e) You have all the cleverness which makes a [successful] man .
38a) When I saw him that afternoon so enwrapped in the [music] at St. James's Hall I felt that an evil time might be coming upon those whom he had set himself to hunt down .
39e) Ten steps with each foot took me along parallel with the wall of the house , and again I marked my [spot] with a peg .
40e) Then Mr. Alec ran out and [knelt] beside the wounded man .
41d) The cries , which had [sunk] down into a hoarse , inarticulate shouting , came from the room which we had first visited .
42e) I hope to [heaven] that he has gone , for he has brought nothing but trouble here .
43a) It's about five in the morning , you know , that [suicides] are most common .
44b) Shortly after our return to England my mother died she was [killed] eight years ago in a railway accident near Crewe .
45b) It could only be a small one , or it would have been [remarked] upon at the coroner's inquiry .
46c) Everything which had been disconnected before began at once to [assume] its true place , and I had a shadowy presentiment of the whole sequence of events .
47d) The photograph is in a [recess] behind a sliding panel just above the right bell-pull .
48c) It was a delicate point , and it [widened] the field of my inquiry .
49c) The stage lost a fine [actor] , even as science lost an acute reasoner , when he became a specialist in crime .
50b) But here an unexpected and singular [difficulty] presented itself .
51b) There was a long silence , during which Holmes [leaned] his chin upon his hands and stared into the crackling fire .
52c) For answer Holmes [pushed] back the frill of black lace which fringed the hand that lay upon our visitor's knee .
53c) Yet it was quite certain , from the [absolute] stillness , that we were in the country .
54b) As I descended , my old ally , the [guard] , came out of the room and closed the door tightly behind him .
55d) The inspector had [lit] his lantern , and by its light we could see the two doors , the curtain , the lamp , and the suit of Japanese mail as he had described them .
56d) I sprang from my bed , [wrapped] a shawl round me , and rushed into the corridor .
57e) I did not know about a projected [divorce] between herself and her husband .
58e) I confess that they quite [surpass] my expectations , and that I am utterly unable to account for your result .
59a) It was not until we had reached home that I began to [realize] the true state of affairs .
60b) Why should I slink away without having carried out my commission , and without the [payment] which was my due .
61b) She could trust her own guardianship , but she could not tell what [indirect] or political influence might be brought to bear upon a business man .
62c) He said a few words to each candidate as he came up , and then he always managed to find some fault in them which would [disqualify] them .
63e) And into her [sitting-room] , which was the very room which I suspected .
64d) It was a [quarter] past six when we left Baker Street , and it still wanted ten minutes to the hour when we found ourselves in Serpentine Avenue .
65d) To rake this up couldn't help our poor master , and it's well to go [carefully] when there's a lady in the case .
66a) There , sitting together in the [twilight] , I told Holmes of my conversation with the lady .
67e) That cold , [incisive] , ironical voice could belong to but one man in all the world .
68b) I was well aware that nothing but business of importance would have brought him to me at such an hour , so I [waited] patiently until he should come round to it .
69e) As he [dangled] from the hook it was exaggerated and intensified until he was scarce human in his appearance .
70e) The shutters cut off the least [ray] of light , and we waited in absolute darkness .
71c) It is probable that he will be away all day , and that there would be nothing to [disturb] you .
72e) I interpret all languages or nearly all but as I am a Greek by birth and with a Grecian name , it is with that particular [tongue] that I am principally associated .
73c) A few good [cases] and the reputation which I had won in the hospital brought me rapidly to the front , and during the last few years I have made him a rich man .
74d) If you will only come around to the east gate you it will very much surprise you and be of the greatest [service] to you and also to Annie Morrison .
75c) Even my [dread] of losing a client could not restrain me from showing my impatience .
76e) At the time that I wrote this letter to Sir Charles I had learned that there was a [prospect] of my regaining my freedom if certain expenses could be met .
77e) My companion sat in the front of the trap , his arms folded , his hat [pulled] down over his eyes , and his chin sunk upon his breast , buried in the deepest thought .
78e) His face set hard , and a baleful light [sprang] up in his grey eyes .
79c) I told the police last time they did it that they should [stop] these disgraceful exhibitions .
80b) This girl had been [devoted] to him .
81b) Having found nothing they tried to divert suspicion by making it appear to be an ordinary [burglary] , to which end they carried off whatever they could lay their hands upon .
82b) I have it from the same source that you are both an orphan and a bachelor and are [residing] alone in London .
83d) Finally , with a shamefaced apology for his [weakness] , he rose once more .
84e) His slippers , too , were gone , but his [boots] were left behind .
85a) His eyes looked malignantly at me , and his gray whiskers bristled like those of an [angry] cat .
86c) As a rule , when I have heard some [slight] indication of the course of events , I am able to guide myself by the thousands of other similar cases which occur to my memory .
87c) I saw in the gaslight that Holmes [wore] an amused smile at this brilliant departure of mine .
88c) The freckles started out on the [lady's] face .
89e) All red-headed men who are sound in body and mind and above the age of [twenty-one] years , are eligible .
90d) In his hand he held a [pistol] , but he thrust it into his pocket as we advanced .
91d) When I went upstairs with him he pointed to several [footprints] upon the light carpet .
92a) It was the most [preposterous] position in which I ever found myself in my life , and it was the thought of it that started me laughing just now .
93d) It gave even my [hardened] nerves a shudder to look at it .
94c) So much is [fairly] clear .
95e) I took off the [kettle] and blew out the lamp , for the water was spurting over the floor .
96d) However , I [threw] all fears to the winds , ate a hearty supper , drove to Paddington , and started off , having obeyed to the letter the injunction as to holding my tongue .
97e) Nor was the fact of the [wound] being on the back of his head a fatal objection to this , as he might have turned to avoid the blow .
98e) We even [traced] them as far as Reading , but could get no farther , for they had covered their traces in a way that showed that they were very old hands .
99e) For half an hour I sat with [straining] ears .
100a) I thought of the convict out upon the bleak , cold , [shelterless] moor .
101a) No doubt his blackmailing case is [absorbing] all his faculties .
102d) Mr. Melas is a [Greek] by extraction , as I understand , and he is a remarkable linguist .
103e) The metal work was in the form of a double ring , but it had been bent and [twisted] out of its original shape .
104b) It's not been [fed] for two days .
105e) I had been told that if the King employed an [agent] it would certainly be you .
106c) My coffee had not yet come , and I wondered what was the cause of the [delay] could be .
107c) The boy was [nowhere] to be seen .
108d) It brought me to the very [threshold] of the old door .
109b) Holmes was for the moment as [startled] as I. His hand closed like a vice upon my wrist in his agitation .
110a) So interested was he that I had to [repeat] some of it twice before he was satisfied .
111b) It seemed to me that a careful examination of the room and the lawn might possibly [reveal] some traces of this mysterious individual .
112a) The wind was howling outside , and the rain was beating and [splashing] against the windows .
113a) On the contrary , for a small street in a quiet [neighbourhood] , it was remarkably animated .
114c) It was locked , but the [key] had been left on the outside .
115b) All was exactly as I left it , save only that the [papers] which had been committed to my care had been taken from the desk on which they lay .
116c) At one side of this was a squat , brass-bound wooden box , the [lid] of which was hinged upwards , with this curious old-fashioned key projecting from the lock .
117e) For myself , my term of service in India had [trained] me to stand heat better than cold , and a thermometer of 90 was no hardship .
118e) If the lady [loves] her husband , she does not love your Majesty .
119e) Joseph Harrison is my name , and as Percy is to marry my sister Annie I shall at least be a [relation] by marriage .
120e) I clambered out upon the sill , but I hesitated to jump until I should have heard what passed between my saviour and the ruffian who [pursued] me .
121e) In my haste I thrust the key into my pocket , and [dropped] my stick while I was chasing Teddy , who had run up the curtain .
122d) I simply want your [opinion] about a hydraulic stamping machine which has got out of gear .
123c) His chin was [cocked] upward and his eyes were fixed in a dreadful , rigid stare at the corner of the ceiling .
124d) On the other hand , we brought to the surface an [object] of a most unexpected kind .
125d) I did not [gain] very much , however , by my inspection .
126d) His grandfather was a royal [duke] , and he himself has been to Eton and Oxford .
127e) He will not even go out of his way to [verify] his own solutions , and would rather be considered wrong than take the trouble to prove himself right .
128b) I've never [breathed] a word about it yet to mortal man .
129c) In an instant the three of us had torn them away from him , and Holmes staggered to his feet , very [pale] and evidently greatly exhausted .
130e) And when he [speaks] of Irene Adler , or when he refers to her photograph , it is always under the honourable title of the woman .
131b) It was the clank of the levers and the swish of the [leaking] cylinder .
132b) It was indeed a gigantic one , and capable of exercising [enormous] pressure .
133a) You may then walk to the end of the street , and I will [rejoin] you in ten minutes .
134d) Yet this emaciation seemed to be his natural [habit] , and due to no disease , for his eye was bright , his step brisk , and his bearing assured .
135b) He was [accompanied] by a little elderly gentleman , who was introduced to me as the Mr. Acton whose house had been the scene of the original burglary .
136c) I gave a [trifle] myself .
137c) The house stands in its own grounds , but the west side of it is not more than thirty [yards] from the high-road .
138b) It was a little past six when I [arrived] , so I went first to have my wound dressed , and then the doctor was kind enough to bring me along here .
139c) A few faint [stars] were gleaming in a violet sky .
140b) I heard that Barclay had married Nancy , and that he was [rising] rapidly in the regiment , but even that did not make me speak .
141a) I am still so weak that I have to [write] , as you see , by dictating .
142d) The shape of some monstrous villainy , half seen , half [guessed] , loomed through the darkness which had girt me so long .
143c) Until after the [alarm] of fire , I had not a suspicion .
144c) Perhaps our [visit] now may do something to make it less obscure .
145d) When it was concluded he settled our new [acquaintance] upon the sofa , placed a pillow beneath his head , and laid a glass of brandy and water within his reach .
146d) Within was a small , [square] room , in which the three of us could hardly get at one time .
147c) Half way down this [staircase] is a small landing , with another passage running into it at right angles .
148c) It was only after a painful and prolonged scene that she was [ejected] by the butler and the footman .
149b) It is [inconceivable] that this fellow could have made two such vindictive enemies as these appear to be without knowing of it .
150e) He is a man of no physical courage , as they are well aware from their [experience] the other night .
151e) Sherlock Holmes was not very communicative during the long [drive] and lay back in the cab humming the tunes which he had heard in the afternoon .
152e) The light at the top was suddenly whisked out , and from the [darkness] came a reedy , quivering voice .
153b) There was no [furniture] save a little pallet bed , a small table , and a basketful of linen .
154e) It may prove the simplest matter in the world , but all the same at first glance this is just a little [curious] , is it not .
155c) It was nearly [midway] between the oak and the house .
156c) They undoubtedly showed that the [affair] was much deeper than was at first conjectured .
157e) I confess that I felt easier in my mind when , after following Holmes' example and [slipping] off my shoes , I found myself inside the bedroom .
158e) I beg you to remember that no one knows where you are , and that , whether you are in this carriage or in my house , you are [equally] in my power .
159b) I will read it to you , and in return you must turn over these [papers] and let me have whatever bears upon the matter .
160d) His dress was quiet and sombre a black frock-coat , dark trousers , and a touch of [color] about his necktie .
161a) These were all [factors] which had to be taken into consideration , and yet none of them got quite to the heart of the matter .
162c) Running up , I [blew] its brains out , and it fell over with its keen white teeth still meeting in the great creases of his neck .
163a) They meet , they write , there is a complete [understanding] between them .
164e) They were the only signs of human life which I could see , save only those prehistoric [huts] which lay thickly upon the slopes of the hills .
165d) Holmes pulled a large sheet of [tissue-paper] out of his pocket and carefully unfolded it upon his knee .
166b) As it was , he suffered a long term of imprisonment and afterwards returned to England a [morose] and disappointed man .
167d) Your interview with the lady has cleared the [situation] very much .
168e) The country roads seem to be not very good in that part of the world , for we [lurched] and jolted terribly .
169a) He and I seemed to be the only living things between the [huge] arch of the sky and the desert beneath it .
170d) It's not a very large [affair] , and of late years it has not done more than just give me a living .
171a) He was a man of singular habits , [shunning] company and very seldom going out .
172e) It was almost dark before we found ourselves in Pall Mall , at the [rooms] of Mr. Melas .
173a) I went at once to my room and drew up my [report] of the morning's conversation for Holmes .
174c) This also was opened , and led down a flight of winding stone [steps] , which terminated at another formidable gate .
175c) The brother scribbled a note upon a leaf of his [pocket-book] , and , ringing the bell , he handed it to the waiter .
176b) Of course he must [recall] the snake before the morning light revealed it to the victim .
177a) He had trained it , probably by the use of the [milk] which we saw , to return to him when summoned .
178b) I sat down upon a [keg] in the corner and thought the whole matter carefully over .
179d) Don't you see that the [converse] is equally valid .
180d) It is a wild night indoors , and what must it be in a [stone] hut upon the moor .
181e) If there was one [report] there might be others , so I looked round the hut in search of them .
182d) If the former , she had probably [transferred] the photograph to his keeping .
183d) To do this was quite beyond my power , and I could only hope that by [economy] I might in ten years' time save enough to enable me to put up my plate .
184e) it's a [wicked] world , and when a clever man turns his brains to crime it is the worst of all .
185c) This incident gives zest to our investigation , however , and I only [trust] that our little friend will not suffer from her imprudence in allowing this brute to trace her .
186e) Convinced that some tragedy had [occurred] , the coachman rushed to the door and strove to force it , while scream after scream issued from within .
187a) I rushed out , [calling] loudly for my stepfather , and I met him hastening from his room in his dressing-gown .
188d) The woman was standing in the aperture , the darkness of the hall behind her , the [yellow] light from my lamp beating upon her eager and beautiful face .
189c) The thieves [ransacked] the library and got very little for their pains .
190e) But we have to be careful , for we have [twice] been deceived by wigs and once by paint .
191b) He was a solicitor and was [using] my room as a temporary convenience until his new premises were ready .
192a) Sherlock Holmes stopped in front of it with his head on one side and looked it all over , with his eyes [shining] brightly between puckered lids .
193a) Sherlock Holmes was as good as his word , for about one o'clock he [rejoined] us in the Colonel's smoking-room .
194e) The wound upon the dead man was , as I was able to determine with absolute confidence , fired from a [revolver] at the distance of something over four yards .
195c) When I had made it clear to them , I returned to the main chamber of the machine and took a good look at it to [satisfy] my own curiosity .
196c) I could tell from his expression that he was on a hot [scent] , and yet I could not in the least imagine in what direction his inferences were leading him .
197e) The walls were of wood , but the floor consisted of a large iron trough , and when I came to examine it I could see a [crust] of metallic deposit all over it .
198e) The last red [streaks] had faded away in the west and night had settled upon the moor .
199a) The fault from what I hear may not have been [entirely] on one side .
200d) Two hours passed slowly away , and then , suddenly , just at the [stroke] of eleven , a single bright light shone out right in front of us .
201a) Now , this puts a very [powerful] weapon into our hands .
202c) But there is , if you will [excuse] my saying so , something just a little funny about it .
203d) In a [fit] of anger , however , caused by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house , he beat his native butler to death and narrowly escaped a capital sentence .
204e) The King [stared] at him in amazement .
205a) You remember the small [affair] of Uriah and Bathsheba .
206a) The inspector hurried away on the instant to make [inquiries] about the page , while Holmes and I returned to Baker Street for breakfast .
207b) I endeavoured to tie my handkerchief round it , but there came a sudden [buzzing] in my ears , and next moment I fell in a dead faint among the rose-bushes .
208c) His whole face sharpened away into nose and chin , and the skin of his cheeks was [drawn] quite tense over his outstanding bones .
209c) At the moment I was simply conscious that I was in the presence of a very handsome woman , and that she was [asking] me the reasons for my visit .
210e) He was off in one of those [hysterical] outbursts which come upon a strong nature when some great crisis is over and gone .
211c) Once or twice we drifted into talk , and I can remember that more than once he [expressed] a keen interest in my methods of observation and inference .
212d) Mortimer had [stayed] to dinner , and he and the baronet played ecarte afterwards .
213b) We had come out upon Oxford Street and I had ventured some remark as to this being a roundabout way to Kensington , when my words were [arrested] by the extraordinary conduct of my companion .
214c) We live very quietly , sir , the three of us ; and we keep a [roof] over our heads and pay our debts , if we do nothing more .
215b) Your task is [confined] to that .
216d) Holmes had [slipped] away , but he came back in a few minutes .
217e) The sight of the safe , the saucer of milk , and the [loop] of whipcord were enough to finally dispel any doubts which may have remained .
218c) I was a happy and successful man , Mr. Holmes , and on the eve of being married , when a sudden and dreadful misfortune [wrecked] all my prospects in life .
219b) The garden and the stables of course have a [separate] staff .
220d) The skylight above was open , and the [prisoner] gone .
221e) He insisted upon my climbing into his dog-cart , and he gave me a [lift] homeward .
222e) But I have heard , Mr. Holmes , that you can see deeply into the [manifold] wickedness of the human heart .
223e) This must be the [burrow] where the stranger lurked .
224c) But I understand , Holmes , that you are turning to practical ends those [powers] with which you used to amaze us .
225a) More than one person [fainted] at the mere sight of him , so terrible was the effect .
226a) If she were ill-used , then at any risks I was [determined] to go back to her assistance .
227c) Was she his [client] , his friend , or his mistress .
228c) I trust that I am not more [dense] than my neighbours , but I was always oppressed with a sense of my own stupidity in my dealings with Sherlock Holmes .
229a) The same [porter] was on duty , I found , as had been there when I arrived .
230e) It cost me something in foolscap , and I had pretty nearly filled a [shelf] with my writings .
231c) A splendid [park] with fine old timber surrounds the house , and the lake , to which my client had referred , lay close to the avenue , about two hundred yards from the building .
232e) It had wandered on to the [moor] and had never come back .
233c) The maid had loved the [butler] , but had afterwards had cause to hate him .
234a) You still smoke the Arcadia mixture of your [bachelor] days then .
235b) With these two facts in my possession I felt that either my intelligence or my courage must be deficient if I could not [throw] some further light upon these dark places .
236d) Whatever she may have deserved one could not [allow] her to go hopelessly to the bad .
237a) They were [admitted] by a confederate inside the house .
238e) He shook hands eagerly with Sherlock Holmes , and his dark eyes sparkled with pleasure when he understood that the specialist was [anxious] to hear his story .
239b) A depleted bank account had caused me to [postpone] my holiday , and as to my companion , neither the country nor the sea presented the slightest attraction to him .
240c) Then suddenly he plunged forward , [wrung] my hand , and congratulated me warmly on my success .
241c) If you cannot keep me after what has passed , then for God's sake let me give you notice and leave in a [month] , as if of my own free will .
242d) Having once made up my mind , you know the [steps] which I took in order to put the matter to the proof .
243d) Luck had been against us again and again in this [inquiry] , but now at last it came to my aid .
244d) Twice they tried to get at him and [failed] ; a third time , you see , it came off .
245b) It is your commonplace , [featureless] crimes which are really puzzling , just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify .
246c) I have a [copy] of the questions and answers here if you care to run your eye over them .
247b) There were a thousand [lives] to save , but it was of only one that I was thinking when I dropped over the wall that night .
248b) I had come to believe that he was an [orphan] with no relatives living , but one day , to my very great surprise , he began to talk to me about his brother .
249b) Between your brandy and your [bandage] , I feel a new man .
250d) It would be a [sharp-eyed] coroner , indeed , who could distinguish the two little dark punctures which would show where the poison fangs had done their work .
251b) Everything was [working] in my favour , and I swore that it should not be through lack of energy or perseverance that I should miss the chance which fortune had thrown in my way .
252e) Mr. Jabez Wilson started up in his chair , with his [forefinger] upon the paper , but his eyes upon my companion .
253c) We both sat in silence for some little time after [listening] to this extraordinary narrative .
254d) You say yourself that the horse was fresh and [glossy] when you got in .
255b) With tingling nerves but a fixed purpose , I sat in the dark recess of the hut and [waited] with sombre patience for the coming of its tenant .
256d) Colonel Lysander Stark [sprang] out , and , as I followed after him , pulled me swiftly into a porch which gaped in front of us .
257d) We compress the earth into bricks , so as to remove them without [revealing] what they are .
258e) Peering in , we could see that the only light in the room came from a dull blue flame which [flickered] from a small brass tripod in the centre .
259b) The younger had left us , but he suddenly returned through another door , leading with him a gentleman [clad] in some sort of loose dressing-gown who moved slowly towards us .
260a) Naturally , it was to my interest to buy their land before they discovered its true value , but unfortunately I had no [capital] by which I could do this .
261d) Her rich [tints] made the white face of her companion the more worn and haggard by the contrast .
262c) We are at present , Doctor as no doubt you have divined in the cellar of the City branch of one of the [principal] London banks .
263c) Each daughter can claim an [income] of 250 pounds , in case of marriage .
264b) Over the wide [expanse] there was no sound and no movement .
265c) More than one person fainted at the mere sight of him , so [terrible] was the effect .
266c) Come , now , we shall see who [agrees] with you .
267b) Outside the sun was [sinking] low and the west was blazing with scarlet and gold .
268e) Holmes had sat up upon the couch , and I saw him [motion] like a man who is in need of air .
269a) Holmes and I rushed out and round the angle of the house , with Toller [hurrying] behind us .
270d) Another day two at the most and I have my case [complete] , but until then guard your charge as closely as ever a fond mother watched her ailing child .
271c) From north , south , east , and west every man who had a shade of red in his hair had [tramped] into the city to answer the advertisement .
272d) He went out again , therefore , through the window , and having [obtained] the help of a policeman and of a medical man , he returned .
273a) All my [medical] instincts rose up against that laugh .
274d) The matter was so [prearranged] that it is my belief that they brought with them some sort of block or pulley which might serve as a gallows .
275c) She was about to renew her entreaties when a door slammed [overhead] , and the sound of several footsteps was heard upon the stairs .
276c) He lay back without [wincing] , though he bit his lip from time to time .
277e) The barren scene , the sense of loneliness , and the [mystery] and urgency of my task all struck a chill into my heart .
278e) How he did it I could not [imagine] , but he pushed and pulled and butted until he got me through the crowd , and right up to the steps which led to the office .
279a) It was absolutely certain , therefore , in spite of her [denial] , that she must know something of the matter .
280a) My companion noiselessly [closed] the shutters , moved the lamp onto the table , and cast his eyes round the room .
281e) There could be no question that the most distinctive and suggestive point in the case was the [singular] disappearance of the door-key .
282d) Surely the explanation of all this could not be as [innocent] as she would have me believe .
283e) At the end were the [signatures] of the high dignitaries who had signed it .
284a) I have [determined] , therefore , to call upon you and to consult you in reference to the very painful event which has occurred in connection with my wedding .
285a) And this was the singular case of the Grecian Interpreter , the [explanation] of which is still involved in some mystery .
286d) From one of these I picked a battle-axe , and then , leaving my [candle] behind me , I crept on tiptoe down the passage and peeped in at the open door .
287c) The walls were carefully sounded , and were shown to be quite solid all round , and the [flooring] was also thoroughly examined , with the same result .
288a) Besides , we must be [prompt] , for this marriage may mean a complete change in her life and habits .
289c) I placed my revolver , cocked , upon the top of the [wooden] case behind which I crouched .
290b) But we have more [assured] reasons than that for supposing it .
291b) If you leave , you [forfeit] your whole position forever .
292a) All we wish you to do is to [examine] the machine and to let us know what is wrong with it .
293e) Sherlock Holmes had been [leaning] back in his chair with his eyes closed and his head sunk in a cushion , but he half opened his lids now and glanced across at his visitor .
294e) Together they would come at night to the cellar , and their united [force] would suffice to raise the stone .
295b) In an instant I was [stunned] with a blow and bound hand and foot .
296a) The point is of the utmost [importance] as guiding us towards the reason of the sudden quarrel .
297c) The rapidity with which such a [poison] would take effect would also , from his point of view , be an advantage .
298b) But there were [ample] signs that I had not come upon a false scent .
299e) And then again , sir , we were both of us very [fond] of Sir Charles , as we well might be considering all that he has done for us .
300b) The Lord St. Simon marriage , and its [curious] termination , have long ceased to be a subject of interest in those exalted circles in which the unfortunate bridegroom moves .
301d) But the inspector was mistaken , for those criminals were not [destined] to fall into the hands of justice .
302c) I rose , and , making my [excuses] , escaped from the house .
303a) Then suddenly another sound became [audible] a very gentle , soothing sound , like that of a small jet of steam escaping continually from a kettle .
304c) It rained hard this afternoon , as you know , and my [patients] were the only people who called .
305c) I was just [balancing] whether I should run for it , or whether I should perch behind her landau when a cab came through the street .
306b) When a [doctor] does go wrong he is the first of criminals .
307e) If I could get his [knowledge] it might save me a long and weary hunt .
308b) A man always finds it hard to realize that he may have finally lost a woman's love , however badly he may have [treated] her .
309e) The woman's story hung coherently together , and all my [questions] were unable to shake it .
310e) Even without the lens you will [perceive] , by the scratches on this ward , where the pressure was applied .
311d) What was this nocturnal [expedition] , and why should I go armed .
312a) Evidently because he saw something in it which had [escaped] all those generations of country squires , and from which he expected some personal advantage .
313e) My companion let down the window , and I caught a glimpse of a low , [arched] doorway with a lamp burning above it .
314e) Now and then I [hazarded] some remark to break the monotony of the journey , but the colonel answered only in monosyllables , and the conversation soon flagged .
315c) We know that there is [someone] who has the facts if we can only find her .
316c) The twilight had [closed] in and the moon was shining brightly in the sky before my narrative was finished .
317d) Nowhere was there any trace of that lonely man whom I had seen on the same spot two [nights] before .
318b) He had his hand under the other's arm as they entered , and helped him to a chair with a [tenderness] which one would hardly have expected from his appearance .
319c) It has become known that we have never had occasion to unpack the money , and that it is still [lying] in our cellar .
320d) I should not be very much [surprised] if this were he whose step I hear now upon the stair .
321b) I suppose there would be no chance of a [train] back .
322b) As I gave a last [hurried] glance around , I saw a thin line of yellow light between two of the boards , which broadened and broadened as a small panel was pushed backward .
323e) As I passed out through the wicket gate , however , I found my acquaintance of the morning waiting in the [shadow] upon the other side .
324e) The telescope , a [formidable] instrument mounted upon a tripod , stood upon the flat leads of the house .
325e) Perhaps , Mr. Wilson , you would have the great kindness to [recommence] your narrative .
326e) A heavily timbered park stretched up in a [gentle] slope , thickening into a grove at the highest point .
327b) Why should she fight against every [admission] until it was forced from her .
328a) The shock has made her [half-witted] , but I understand that she was never very bright .
329c) The servants [deny] having seen it before , but among the numerous curiosities in the house it is possible that it may have been overlooked .
330b) The air had turned [chill] and we withdrew into the hut for warmth .
331b) You can understand that , living the life which I have [described] , we were little likely to see anyone of our own age and position .
332a) A small taper on the edge of the table shed a feeble light which [sufficed] to show me that he was fully dressed .
333b) You may not be aware that the [deduction] of a man's age from his writing is one which has brought to considerable accuracy by experts .
334e) Hayter was a fine old [soldier] who had seen much of the world , and he soon found , as I had expected , that Holmes and he had much in common .
335a) What passion of hatred can it be which leads a man to [lurk] in such a place at such a time .
336b) The man is by trade a conjurer and performer , going round the canteens after nightfall , and giving a little [entertainment] at each .
337d) Then it [flashed] through my mind that the pain of my death would depend very much upon the position in which I met it .
338c) We were in time to [overtake] the major before he reached the corner .
339e) I ran to her and threw my arms round her , but at that moment her [knees] seemed to give way and she fell to the ground .
340a) These are [daring] men , and though we shall take them at a disadvantage , they may do us some harm unless we are careful .
341e) Far away came the sharp [clink] of a boot striking upon a stone .
342d) If I were to see my father in one of these dreadful seizures I am [convinced] that I should never survive it .
343e) The lake there is eight feet deep , and you can imagine our feelings when we saw that the [trail] of the poor demented girl came to an end at the edge of it .
344c) She was never , as I think I have said , ostentatiously [affectionate] , but she was heard by the coachman chatting with the Colonel in a friendly fashion .
345a) I dressed hurriedly , for I knew by experience that railway [cases] were seldom trivial , and hastened downstairs .
346b) You see , at the commencement of an investigation it is something to know that your [client] is in close contact with some one who , for good or evil , has an exceptional nature .
347b) I began to understand what my friend meant when he said that his brother possessed even keener [faculties] that he did himself .
348c) He was not remarkable for intelligence , and his answers were frequently [obscure] , which I attributed to his limited acquaintance with our language .
349b) We stepped , as it were , right out of the carriage and into the hall , so that I failed to catch the most [fleeting] glance of the front of the house .
350c) I could , however , see that his face was [deadly] pale and filled with horror and loathing .
351a) The terror of his face lay in his eyes , however , steel gray , and glistening coldly with a malignant , inexorable [cruelty] in their depths .
352d) She had [flung] into the lake a bag containing some curious contents .
353a) A vague pathway among the boulders led to the dilapidated [opening] which served as a door .
354c) Why should she hand it over to [anyone] else .
355d) For many years I have been the chief Greek [interpreter] in London , and my name is very well known in the hotels .
356d) She stared at us with defiant eyes , and then , suddenly [recognizing] me , an expression of absolute astonishment came over her face .
357c) The fat man [cast] his eyes round , and then up at the open skylight .
358b) He broke the seal and [glanced] over the contents .
359c) He laughed very heartily , with a high , [ringing] note , leaning back in his chair and shaking his sides .
360b) That is quite [cleared] up now though , indeed , it was obvious from the first .
361c) The smarting of it [recalled] in an instant all the particulars of my night's adventure , and I sprang to my feet with the feeling that I might hardly yet be safe from my pursuers .
362d) She had been terribly [excited] immediately after his disappearance .
363b) I was certain that Alec had torn it out of the dead man's hand , and almost certain that he must have thrust it into the [pocket] of his dressing-gown .
364b) I sprang up and [lit] the lamp , but nothing was to be seen in the room .
365a) Then I , rather imprudently , wished you [good-night] , and started for the Temple to see my husband .
366d) I had been [warned] against you months ago .
367a) It is very natural that the pledge of secrecy which we have exacted from you should have [aroused] your curiosity .
368e) I was pained at the [mistake] , for I knew how keenly Holmes would feel any slip of the kind .
369c) I am going through the [City] first , and we can have some lunch on the way .
370d) The man leaned over and pulled up the front of a kind of [hutch] in the corner .
371b) If this man were inside it I should find out from his own lips , at the point of my [revolver] if necessary , who he was and why he had dogged us so long .
372e) The bedrooms in this [wing] are on the ground floor , the sitting-rooms being in the central block of the buildings .
373c) If I lay on my face the [weight] would come upon my spine , and I shuddered to think of that dreadful snap .
374d) Altogether , look as I would , there was nothing remarkable about the man save his blazing red head , and the expression of [extreme] chagrin and discontent upon his features .
375b) But I hear the [rumble] of wheels .
376c) Was there a police-station [anywhere] near .
377a) As I left the [dining-room] I happened to meet Rachel Howells , the maid .
378e) He was very willing to have a holiday , so we [shut] the business up and started off for the address that was given us in the advertisement .
379e) Then once more the footsteps approached and a [shadow] fell across the opening of the hut .
380e) Besides , I knew that my [assistant] was a good man , and that he would see to anything that turned up .
381b) I understand that it was on a [professional] matter that you wished to speak to me .
382e) His brain is as [cunning] as his fingers , and though we meet signs of him at every turn , we never know where to find the man himself .
383a) I cannot recall when I have seen anything so fine' He took a step backward , cocked his head on one side , and [gazed] at my hair until I felt quite bashful .
384a) Your eyes turned across to the unframed portrait of Henry Ward Beecher which [stands] upon the top of your books .
385c) You have at least the satisfaction of knowing that for thirty years of his life his [conscience] bitterly reproached him for this wicked deed .
386e) I rushed forward , fell down , clapped my hand to my face , and became a [piteous] spectacle .
387c) Colonel Stark laid down the lamp on the top of a harmonium beside the door 'I shall not keep you waiting an instant , ' said he , and [vanished] into the darkness .
388d) I mean to teach them in these parts that law is law , and that there is a man here who does not fear to [invoke] it .
389c) One piece , about three feet in length , had a very marked indentation at one end , while several were flattened at the sides as if they had been [compressed] by some considerable weight .
390a) At last she looked up with something [reckless] and defiant in her manner .
391e) The Colonel had been sitting in the dining-room , but hearing that his wife had returned he [joined] her in the morning-room .
392e) My friend was an enthusiastic [musician] , being himself not only a very capable performer but a composer of no ordinary merit .
393e) That was bad enough , for all that the [coroner] said .
394d) I am an [interpreter] , as perhaps my neighbor there has told you .
395e) Now , there is no one more easy to [trace] than a schoolmaster .
396d) Far away stretched a line of [houses] , with a light here and there in the upper windows .
397e) They were all three standing in a [knot] in front of the altar .
398d) The crate upon which I sit contains 2,000 napoleons packed between [layers] of lead foil .
399d) His aversion to women and his disinclination to form new friendships were both typical of his [unemotional] character , but not more so than his complete suppression of every reference to his own people .
400e) The thought had hardly flashed through my mind before he was at the door , [pushing] his way past her ; but she threw her arms round him and tried to hold him back .
401a) I lounged up the side aisle like any other [idler] who has dropped into a church .
402d) My heart is [lightened] already since I have confided my trouble to you .
403a) We have [provided] him with all that he can want .
404e) I observe that there is a good deal of German [music] on the programme , which is rather more to my taste than Italian or French .
405d) The ceiling of this small chamber is really the end of the descending piston , and it comes down with the force of many [tons] upon this metal floor .
406a) It was [quarter] to twelve when the alarm broke out .
407a) I had seen enough of the contrary nature of the old sinner to understand that any strong [sign] of interest would be the surest way to stop his confidences .
408c) You are to ask the questions , Mr. Melas , and he will [write] the answers .
409c) I shall be happy to give you an [opinion] upon the subject in the course of a day or two .
410c) And yet if it were on the [lawn] , I wonder that you did not hear it also .
411d) Both cases [decided] , Dr. Watson , and both in my favour .
412c) This we have now been doing for some time , and in order to help us in our [operations] we erected a hydraulic press .
413a) She then called for Miss Morrison , a young lady who lives in the next [villa] , and the two went off together to their meeting .
414b) One morning , at a little before seven o'clock , I was [awakened] by the maid tapping at the door to announce that two men had come from Paddington and were waiting in the consulting-room .
415c) No case , however , in which Holmes was engaged has ever [illustrated] the value of his analytical methods so clearly or has impressed those who were associated with him so deeply .
416c) I hesitated whether to attempt to secure the photograph at once ; but the coachman had come in , and as he was [watching] me narrowly it seemed safer to wait .
417d) My wife had already gone upstairs , and the sound of the [locking] of the hall door some time before told me that the servants had also retired .
418c) A low moaning sound was coming from [somewhere] over our heads .
419e) And that was how a great scandal threatened to [affect] the kingdom of Bohemia , and how the best plans of Mr. Sherlock Holmes were beaten by a woman's wit .
420d) Holmes and the Inspector led us round it until we came to the side gate , which is [separated] by a stretch of garden from the hedge which lines the road .
421a) It was an old [rickety] door and gave at once before our united strength .
422a) We will be [shown] into the sitting-room to wait for the lady , but it is probable that when she comes she may find neither us nor the photograph .
423c) I took out my [revolver] and laid it on the corner of the table .
424c) The law is upon his side , and every day I am [faced] by the possibility that he may force me to live with him .
425e) Without a word he grasped my arm and hurried me into a [carriage] , the door of which was standing open .
426c) It contained a loaf of bread , a tinned tongue , and two [tins] of preserved peaches .
427b) In my inmost heart I believed that I could [succeed] where others failed , and now I had the opportunity to test myself .
428a) My sister and I , you will recollect , were twins , and you know how [subtle] are the links which bind two souls which are so closely allied .
429b) I think that there was [probably] some more tangible cause .
430d) They inherit [Plantagenet] blood by direct descent , and Tudor on the distaff side .
431c) Pray interrupt me if there is any [inference] which is not perfectly clear to you .
432b) With an apology for my intrusion , I was about to [withdraw] when Holmes pulled me abruptly into the room and closed the door behind me .
433e) I came in by train this morning , and on [inquiring] at Paddington as to where I might find a doctor , a worthy fellow very kindly escorted me here .
434d) She writhed as one who is in terrible [pain] , and her limbs were dreadfully convulsed .
435e) I am sure that if you [mentioned] my name they would be happy to show it to you .
436e) His broad black hat , his baggy trousers , his white tie , his [sympathetic] smile , and general look of peering and benevolent curiosity were such as Mr. John Hare alone could have equalled .
437d) I say normal cases , because ill-health and physical weakness reproduce the [signs] of old age , even when the invalid is a youth .
438c) The door at the bottom was [closed] , but unlocked .
439a) She left her room , therefore , and came into mine , where she sat for some time , [chatting] about her approaching wedding .
440d) In an instant his strange [headgear] began to move , and there reared itself from among his hair the squat diamond-shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent .
441a) That is his [main] fault , but on the whole he's a good worker .
442b) I had never seen my friend's face so [grim] or his brow so dark as it was when we turned from the scene of this investigation .
443b) Holmes took a [bundle] of papers from his pocket .
444e) It was a quarter to ten before we reached London Bridge , and half past before the four of us [alighted] on the Beckenham platform .
445b) I have one of my Baker Street boys mounting guard over him who would stick to him like a [burr] , go where he might .
446c) From within he [produced] a crumpled piece of paper , and old-fashioned brass key , a peg of wood with a ball of string attached to it , and three rusty old disks of metal .
447d) There was nothing markedly abnormal in any of these conditions , which [harmonized] with my former experiences .
448c) And , first of all , we must [choose] our positions .
449d) The machine goes readily enough , but there is some stiffness in the [working] of it , and it has lost a little of its force .
450e) He loved to lie in the very centre of five millions of people , with his [filaments] stretching out and running through them , responsive to every little rumor or suspicion of unsolved crime .
451a) But his next [remark] took a weight from my mind .
452e) The least appearance of [opposition] struck fire out of the old autocrat .
453d) He was not generally popular among the undergraduates , though it always seemed to me that what was set down as pride was really an [attempt] to cover extreme natural diffidence .
454d) But then , when I found how I had [betrayed] myself , I began to think .
455e) Having done this , he drew up the windows on each side , and I found to my astonishment that they were covered with paper so as to [prevent] my seeing through them .
456d) An important [addition] has been made during the last week to the list of the prizes which have been borne away by these charming invaders .
457d) I found the black tor upon which I had seen the solitary [watcher] , and from its craggy summit I looked out myself across the melancholy downs .
458b) He had been dead some days , but there was no [wound] or bruise upon his person to show how he had met his dreadful end .
459c) At first he was very [eager] to come , but on second thoughts it seemed to both of us that if I went alone the results might be better .
460c) I made excellent [arrangements] , and they are only delayed one day upon their way .
461a) We passed up the stair , [unlocked] the door , followed on down a passage , and found ourselves in front of the barricade which Miss Hunter had described .
462a) You were dwelling upon the sadness and horror and [useless] waste of life .
463d) He had heard nothing , and the [affair] remained a complete mystery .
464c) Beside it lay some cooking utensils and a bucket [half-full] of water .
465d) I determined to wait until I got back to town before [telling] my story to the police .
466c) We got off , [paid] our fare , and the trap rattled back on its way to Leatherhead .
467d) The coachman saw him [cross] the hall and enter it .
468d) The Duke , his father , was at one time [Secretary] for Foreign Affairs .
469e) I handed him my pouch , and he seated himself opposite to me and [smoked] for some time in silence .
470d) It was not [merely] that Holmes changed his costume .
471c) I do not think that I have ever seen so [thin] a man .
472d) Her story got about , and several of the people here did something to enable her to [earn] an honest living .
473d) The animal has been [moving] , and we have the length of its stride .
474e) Naturally enough she ran down to tell the cook , and the two women with the coachman came up into the hall and listened to the [dispute] which was still raging .
475d) And what deep and earnest purpose can he have which [calls] for such a trial .
476e) Then he turned down the [lamp] , and we were left in darkness .
477b) He had [evidently] been carried down by two persons , one of whom had remarkably small feet and the other unusually large ones .
478b) For a moment is seemed to me that there must be some radical [mistake] in my calculations .
479d) He had [spotted] the place .
480c) On his evidence Cartwright was [hanged] and the other three got fifteen years apiece .
481d) It would indeed be a [triumph] for me if I could run him to earth where my master had failed .
482e) Within twenty-four hours I was in his sick-room , and was [relieved] to find that there was nothing formidable in his symptoms .
483b) It must have been a very long time , for the moon had sunk , and a bright morning was [breaking] when I came to myself .
484a) This man strikes even [deeper] , but I think , Watson , that we shall be able to strike deeper still .
485c) You may believe , then , that I was in my [consulting-room] when , at the appointed hour , the page showed in the patient .
486e) But that is a [mere] detail .
487a) I stood [dumb] with astonishment , watching him from the darkness .
488e) I shall give directions that you may [remain] behind when the others go , so that you may copy it at your leisure without fear of being overlooked .
489b) Would she not have made an [admirable] queen .
490c) Before entering , Holmes made an [examination] of the door which had been forced .
491e) There are lonely houses [scattered] over the moor , and he is a fellow who would stick at nothing .
492b) You see that we hold all the cards , and we have only to fear some sudden act of [violence] on their part .
493b) She knows that the King is [capable] of having her waylaid and searched .
494b) But now your thoughts went back to Beecher , and you looked hard across as if you were [studying] the character in his features .
495c) Together we [rushed] into the room .
496a) My friend hardly glanced up as I entered , and I , seeing that his [investigation] must be of importance , seated myself in an arm-chair and waited .
497b) I have made a small [study] of tattoo marks and have even contributed to the literature of the subject .
498b) I have established a right of way through the [centre] of old Middleton's park , slap across it , sir , within a hundred yards of his own front door .
499d) I could only check it by [finding] if she had , indeed , instituted divorce proceedings against her husband at or about the time of the tragedy .
500d) Were it not for the [ugly] wound upon my hand , all that had passed during those dreadful hours might have been an evil dream .
501b) Besides , I can read in a man's eye when it is his own [skin] that he is frightened for .
502b) But to my [astonishment] , when I came to look round me , neither house nor garden were to be seen .
503b) How quiet and sweet and [wholesome] the garden looked in the moonlight , and it could not be more than thirty feet down .
504d) When he reached the [crest] I saw the ragged uncouth figure outlined for an instant against the cold blue sky .
505d) She never said a word until we were at the door here , when she took me by the hand and [begged] me to tell no one what had happened .
506d) Holmes shrugged his shoulders with a glance of comic resignation towards the Colonel , and the talk [drifted] away into less dangerous channels .
507d) He proved to be a blackguard and [deserted] her .
508b) The butler brought me my [coffee] into the library , and I took the chance to ask him a few questions .
509c) He might slip away from us in the [crowd] of Regent Street , but it would puzzle him to do so upon the lonely moor .
510e) I have no reason to be [ashamed] of it .
511e) As he turned towards us the [glint] of the light showed me that he was wearing glasses .
512e) Some chalk [marks] over the waistcoat pocket were the only signs of billiards which I could see in one of them .
513b) At eleven o'clock she rose to leave me , but she [paused] at the door and looked back .
514d) Right in front of the house , upon the left-hand side of the drive , there stood a patriarch among [oaks] , one of the most magnificent trees that I have ever seen .
515b) Then they will not [lose] a minute , for the sooner they do their work the longer time they will have for their escape .
516a) The new [century] will have come , however , before the story can be safely told .
517d) There was no slit through which a knife could be passed to [raise] the bar .
518c) It had set , according to their account , into the most [dreadful] expression of fear and horror which a human countenance is capable of assuming .
519d) He hammered loudly at the [knocker] and pulled at the bell , but without any success .
520b) Holmes walked slowly round and [examined] each and all of them with the keenest interest .
521c) He was quietly dressed in a suit of heather tweed with a soft [cloth] cap which he had laid down upon my books .
522e) For three hours we strolled about together , [watching] the ever-changing kaleidoscope of life as it ebbs and flows through Fleet Street and the Strand .
523d) The smoke and [shouting] were enough to shake nerves of steel .
524b) I've always been [proud] above my station in life , and disgrace would kill me .
525a) It was , of course , of the very first importance that they should not be [reminded] of the existence of this paper , otherwise they would naturally destroy it without delay .
526d) The photograph becomes a [double-edged] weapon now .
527a) If he is [violent] , we shall take you away to your aunt's at Harrow .
528e) It had been [hacked] or torn right out from the roots .
529c) Several discs of metal , old coins apparently , such as I hold here , were [scattered] over the bottom of the box , but it contained nothing else .
530c) There was an old [clock] ticking loudly somewhere in the passage , but otherwise everything was deadly still .
531c) He is as brave as a [bulldog] and as tenacious as a lobster if he gets his claws upon anyone .
532c) He used to make [merry] over the cleverness of women , but I have not heard him do it of late .
533b) We should not have troubled you , only that our friend who speaks Greek and who began these [negotiations] has been forced to return to the East .
534d) It is not a common [experience] among employers in this age .
535b) He sat at my side in silence all the time , and I was aware , more than once when I [glanced] in his direction , that he was looking at me with great intensity .
536e) Major Murphy , to whom I owe most of my [facts] , assures me that he has never heard of any misunderstanding between the pair .
537b) My practice had steadily [increased] , and as I happened to live at no very great distance from Paddington Station , I got a few patients from among the officials .
538b) They saw that I must know all about it , you see , and the sudden change from absolute [security] to complete despair made them perfectly desperate .
539b) All you have to do is just to [wear] out your chair in the consulting-room .
540a) It is [conceivable] that you may even have read some account of the matter .
541c) Some three hours or so [afterwards] we were all in the train together , bound from Reading to the little Berkshire village .
542a) It is a perfectly overpowering [impulse] , and I have more than once taken advantage of it .
543e) I have no wish to [commit] you to anything without your having it all laid before you .
544d) We are [spies] in an enemy's country .
545e) My evidence showed that the door had been fastened upon the inner side , and the windows were [blocked] by old-fashioned shutters with broad iron bars , which were secured every night .
546c) It was furnished partly as a sitting and partly as a bedroom , with flowers arranged [daintily] in every nook and corner .
547a) A collection of my trifling achievements would certainly be [incomplete] which contained no account of this very singular business .
548d) With a few broken words of gratitude the man turned , but he [hesitated] and then came back .
549c) As I ran down the passage , my sister's door was unlocked , and [revolved] slowly upon its hinges .
550a) My stepfather has [offered] no opposition to the match , and we are to be married in the course of the spring .
551c) You will remember that on hearing the sound of the [quarrel] she descended and returned with the other servants .
552a) It is a little place near the [borders] of Oxfordshire , and within seven miles of Reading .
553e) Still , of course , if you would like to [draw] out of the business , there is plenty of time to do so .
554a) For that matter , [Reading] , and possibly other large towns , were within that radius , so the place might not be so secluded , after all .
555c) At first I thought that she had not [recognised] me , but as I bent over her she suddenly shrieked out in a voice which I shall never forget , 'Oh , my God .
556c) He had [ceased] to strike and was gazing up at the ventilator when suddenly there broke from the silence of the night the most horrible cry to which I have ever listened .
557c) Our visitor bore every mark of being an average commonplace British tradesman , obese , [pompous] , and slow .
558c) God help those who wander into the great [mire] now , for even the firm uplands are becoming a morass .
559c) But , you know , I have been trained as an [actress] myself .
560d) You will observe that the hour [mentioned] upon it is the very time at which the poor fellow met his fate .
561a) Out of this landing opened the [drawing-room] and several bedrooms , including those of Mr. Cunningham and his son .
562c) He went over to the door , and turning the [lock] he examined it in his methodical way .
563d) There were no carpets and no signs of any furniture above the ground floor , while the plaster was [peeling] off the walls , and the damp was breaking through in green , unhealthy blotches .
564e) I rubbed one of them on my sleeve , however , and it glowed afterwards like a [spark] in the dark hollow of my hand .
565b) He was once a [schoolmaster] in the north of England .
566a) I have only one other incident to record upon this [tempestuous] and melancholy day .
567d) Was he our [malignant] enemy , or was he by chance our guardian angel .
568b) He was plainly but neatly [dressed] , and his age , I should judge , would be nearer forty than thirty .
569b) Who were these German people , and what were they doing living in this strange , [out-of-the-way] place .
570c) He was of a sickly color , and his thin , sandy hair seemed to bristle up with the [intensity] of his emotion .
571d) Rain had fallen on the night before and we examined the [lawn] and the paths all round the house , but in vain .
572c) I have a few thousands to invest , d'ye see , and I think I'll [sink] them in you .
573a) I was feeling [drowsy] and stupid , partly from my dinner and also from the effects of a long day's work .
574a) I rushed [madly] from the room on to the landing .
575d) For all they cared it might have been me , instead of my [effigy] , which these rascals burned at the stake .
576b) The French or the Russian embassy would pay an immense sum to [learn] the contents of these papers .
577c) The station-master had not [finished] his speech before we were all hastening in the direction of the fire .
578e) Holmes cut the [cord] and removed the transverse bar .
579c) I had no idea of the [lengths] to which this would carry him , until the merest accident opened my eyes to it .
580a) Far away we could hear the deep [tones] of the parish clock , which boomed out every quarter of an hour .
581e) The Colonel possessed a varied collection of [weapons] brought from the different countries in which he had fought , and it is conjectured by the police that his club was among his trophies .
582c) You must [lock] yourself up from him to-night .
583c) Is that a place where a [shepherd] would be likely to take his station .
584b) I often take advantage of the [freedom] which it gives .
585e) He would try by a few attentions to make his peace with the girl Howells , and then would [engage] her as his accomplice .
586b) For days on end , when the mood was on him , he has been [sunk] in the deepest gloom .
587e) The ejaculation had been drawn from my companion by the fact that our door had been suddenly [dashed] open , and that a huge man had framed himself in the aperture .
588a) You see that his murderer might have torn the rest of the [sheet] from him or he might have taken this fragment from the murderer .
589b) Sherlock Holmes picked them up one by one , and laid them along the [edge] of the table .
590e) He came up to my room one morning , and [plunged] into business in an instant .
591e) No sound came from within , and at the silence Holmes' face [clouded] over .
592a) The little which I had yet to learn of the case was told me by [Sherlock] Holmes as we travelled back next day .
593d) He held up a piece of white cardboard about the [size] of a sheet of note-paper .
594c) Sherlock Holmes stopped at a door some little distance from the Carlton , and , [cautioning] me not to speak , he led the way into the hall .
595d) Then , again , I have heard it is no use your applying if your hair is light red , or dark red , or anything but real bright , [blazing] , fiery red .
596d) Holmes had brought up a long thin [cane] , and this he placed upon the bed beside him .
597b) She listened for an instant , [threw] up her hands with a despairing gesture , and vanished as suddenly and as noiselessly as she had come .
598b) You don't [comply] with the conditions if you budge from the office during that time .
599d) The ceiling was only a foot or two above my head , and with my hand [upraised] I could feel its hard , rough surface .
600c) Then he did the same with the [wood-work] with which the chamber was panelled .
601d) I have frequently gained my first real insight into the character of [parents] by studying their children .
602a) He's in [hiding] , too , but he's not a convict as far as I can make out .
603b) Again and again I have taken a problem to him , and have received an [explanation] which has afterwards proved to be the correct one .
604a) It was a [serious] thing to be in the power of this spiteful old busybody .
605e) Whatever his crimes , he has [suffered] something to atone for them .
606a) But not one word shall they have from me , and I [bind] you to secrecy also , Dr. Watson .
607d) He has been very [attentive] to us , and hardly a day has passed that he has not called at the Hall to see how we were getting on .
608b) Suddenly , however , an [unexpected] incident opened up quite a new prospect to me .
609c) Then he [vanished] over the hill .
610e) Holmes walked slowly , taking keen note of the [architecture] of the house .
611b) This , of course , fitted in well enough with the [police] theory , if the Colonel could have seen his wife making a murderous attack upon him .
612e) I want to see whether the objections are fatal , or if they may be [explained] away .
613b) They have given up the [chase] there , and he can lie quiet until the ship is ready for him .
614b) He had usually a great many [letters] , for he was a public man and well known for his kind heart , so that everyone who was in trouble was glad to turn to him .
615b) There he was , sure enough , a small urchin with a little [bundle] upon his shoulder , toiling slowly up the hill .
616b) The point is a simple one , but the Inspector had [overlooked] it because he had started with the supposition that these county magnates had had nothing to do with the matter .
617e) I should like to have his [opinion] of the case , though the authorities assure me that nothing more can be done .
618c) I rang the bell , therefore , to [summon] him .
619c) He found that the [stone] which covered it was just too heavy for a man to move unaided .
620e) I put myself in the man's place and , having first gauged his intelligence , I try to [imagine] how I should myself have proceeded under the same circumstances .
621c) He was a well-grown , handsome man , with a splendid forehead , and though he has been with us for twenty years he cannot be more than [forty] now .
622b) At Waterloo we were fortunate in [catching] a train for Leatherhead , where we hired a trap at the station inn and drove for four or five miles through the lovely Surrey lanes .
623e) A Greek friend had come to see him upon business , he said , and as he could speak nothing but his own tongue , the services of an [interpreter] were indispensable .
624d) But he will never trouble [anyone] in this country again .
625e) It was a [homely] little room , with a low ceiling and a gaping fireplace , after the fashion of old country-houses .
626a) Too large for easy [concealment] about a woman's dress .
627a) I entered my consulting-room and found a gentleman [seated] by the table .
628d) An instant later I heard him running down , and he [burst] into my consulting-room like a man who is mad with panic .
629e) It did wonders both in the Crimea and the Mutiny , and has since that time [distinguished] itself upon every possible occasion .
630a) It was worth an effort to find out , and for that [object] we all went up to the house .
631b) I would never [trust] a banker , Mr. Holmes .
632d) Holmes flung open the door and [rushed] in , but he was out again in an instant , with his hand to his throat .
633d) But I want to find out about them , and who they are , and what their [object] was in playing this prank if it was a prank upon me .
634e) I have no doubt at all that a family [mannerism] can be traced in these two specimens of writing .
635d) My poor friend's face had suddenly [assumed] the most dreadful expression .
636c) The instant that I had crossed the threshold the door slammed [heavily] behind us , and I heard faintly the rattle of the wheels as the carriage drove away .
637c) The lady looked quickly up with an [angry] gleam in her hazel eyes .
638b) They say that away down in the village , and even in the distant parsonage , that cry raised the [sleepers] from their beds .
639a) Half a [guinea] if you do it in twenty minutes .
640e) The J. P shrugged his shoulders , and led the way into his own [chamber] , which was a plainly furnished and commonplace room .
641e) The bell-rope hangs from the [wire] just to the right of my desk .
642a) I know something , Sir Henry , and perhaps I should have said it before , but it was long after the [inquest] that I found it out .
643b) He did [burn] the letter .
644c) One side of the window was open , which I understand was quite usual in the [summer-time] , and he passed without difficulty into the room .
645b) Again and again I [cross-questioned] her , but I could never get past that point .
646b) The house was just such as I had [pictured] it from Sherlock Holmes' succinct description , but the locality appeared to be less private than I expected .
647c) We were at breakfast when the Colonel's [butler] rushed in with all his propriety shaken out of him .
648a) There are small lateral columns of water outside which receive the force , and which transmit and multiply it in the manner which is [familiar] to you .
649d) I could see at a glance that she was [sick] with fear , and the sight sent a chill to my own heart .
650e) I slept at Baker Street that night , and we were [engaged] upon our toast and coffee in the morning when the King of Bohemia rushed into the room .
651c) My mistress told me that you were [likely] to call .
652c) Finally he walked over to the bed and [spent] some time in staring at it and in running his eye up and down the wall .
653b) There is something in it which [fascinates] me extremely .
654d) My submission [pleased] him and led him to further confidences .
655c) Then he turned the handle and entered , I at his heels , with the [cocked] pistol in my hand .
656e) The chimney is wide , but is [barred] up by four large staples .
657a) During my long and [intimate] acquaintance with Mr. Sherlock Holmes I had never heard him refer to his relations , and hardly ever to his own early life .
658d) Altogether there are eight maids , the [cook] , the butler , two footmen , and a boy .
659a) He started me off upon the letter A , and then he left me ; but he would [drop] in from time to time to see that all was right with me .
660a) He actually sat [crying] in an arm-chair , and I could hardly get him to speak coherently .
661b) It told how two [Englishmen] who had been traveling with a woman had met with a tragic end .
662d) I went up to the house with the [Inspector] , and saw all that was to be seen .
663c) Then I carefully [paced] off five to the east and two to the south .
664c) Sherlock Holmes and I had no difficulty in [engaging] a bedroom and sitting-room at the Crown Inn .
665a) Then he [reseated] himself in his chair and looked them over with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes .
666e) As we passed it Holmes , to my unutterable astonishment , leaned over in front of me and deliberately [knocked] the whole thing over .
667b) My clothes were all [sodden] with dew , and my coat-sleeve was drenched with blood from my wounded thumb .
668b) Suddenly there was the [momentary] gleam of a light up in the direction of the ventilator , which vanished immediately , but was succeeded by a strong smell of burning oil and heated metal .
669a) An inspection of his chair showed me that he had been in the [habit] of standing on it , which of course would be necessary in order that he should reach the ventilator .
670b) There was something subtly wrong with the face , some coarseness of expression , some [hardness] , perhaps , of eye , some looseness of lip which marred its perfect beauty .
671c) I see him every day through my [telescope] upon the roof .
672a) These infernal people seem to think that there are no [rights] of property , and that they can swarm where they like with their papers and their bottles .
673e) It will end in my being [conveyed] into the house .
674e) That is my room at the end of the [stairs] , and my son's is the one beyond it .
675a) His eyes rolled upwards , his features writhed in agony , and with a suppressed groan he [dropped] on his face upon the ground .
676b) I was [weary] of our little sitting-room and gladly acquiesced .
677c) It hadn't pulled up before she [shot] out of the hall door and into it .
678c) Twice he struck at the chamber door without any [reply] from within .
679b) His hands and feet were securely strapped together , and he bore over one eye the [marks] of a violent blow .
680e) Throwing aside my [cigarette] , I closed my hand upon the butt of my revolver and , walking swiftly up to the door , I looked in .
681d) Then he tried the [various] keys in the lock , but without success .
682a) The paper over each window was [impenetrable] to light , and a blue curtain was drawn across the glass work in front .
683e) And yet it would be the [blackest] treachery to Holmes to draw back now from the part which he had intrusted to me .
684b) As I set it down again , after having examined it , my heart leaped to see that beneath it there lay a sheet of paper with [writing] upon it .
685e) They were a [gang] , and a rough one , too .
686b) The July which immediately succeeded my marriage was made memorable by three cases of interest , in which I had the [privilege] of being associated with Sherlock Holmes and of studying his methods .
687a) One of them fired a shot , the other dropped , and the [murderer] rushed across the garden and over the hedge .
688a) I implored the [colonel] to let me out , but the remorseless clanking of the levers drowned my cries .
689d) Your right hand is quite a size [larger] than your left .
690a) But , first , as I am rather shaken by the knocking about which I had in the dressing-room , I think that I shall help myself to a [dash] of your brandy , Colonel .
691c) I caught a glimpse of rushing figures , and a moment later the voice of Holmes from within [assuring] them that it was a false alarm .
692d) Mr. Cunningham , looking out of his [bedroom] , saw the fellow as he gained the road , but lost sight of him at once .
693a) You can hardly realize , then , how [difficult] I found it at first , and how long I had to wait before I succeeded in making any headway .
694e) It is really the most [extraordinary] and inexplicable business .
695e) I threw myself , [screaming] , against the door , and dragged with my nails at the lock .
696c) I rushed across the [bedroom] , flung open the window , and looked out .
697e) The lady , against whom naturally the strongest suspicion rested , was [removed] to her room , still in a state of insensibility .
698d) Nothing would induce me to help the [police] in any way .
699b) He looked round him with a [furtive] and stealthy air , as one who dreads pursuit .
700a) Indeed , it was almost [mesmeric] , the effect which this giggling ruffian had produced upon the unfortunate linguist , for he could not speak of him save with trembling hands and a blanched cheek .
701e) Look at this [stranger] hiding out yonder , and watching and waiting .
702c) I read nothing except the criminal [news] and the agony column .
703b) I could not see her clearly enough to know more than that she was tall and graceful , with black hair , and [clad] in some sort of loose white gown .
704c) Five little livid spots , the [marks] of four fingers and a thumb , were printed upon the white wrist .
705b) Of course , if they had been merely after [plunder] they would at least have made some attempt to search for it .
706b) Julia went there at [Christmas] two years ago , and met there a half-pay major of marines , to whom she became engaged .
707d) On the third morning , however he did not appear , as was his custom , after [breakfast] to receive my instructions for the day .
708b) The flush had [faded] in an instant , and a deathly face was before me .
709a) Here we [dismissed] our cab , and made our way up the drive together .
710b) I was the only passenger who got out there , and there was no one upon the platform save a single sleepy [porter] with a lantern .
711a) Suddenly , however , he started , [tapped] me on the shoulder , and pointed over the meadows .
712e) It will give him the [clue] for which he has been seeking .
713d) I had not quite understood until that instant how [delicate] my mission was .
714d) At two o'clock he bade me good-day , complimented me upon the amount that I had [written] , and locked the door of the office after me .
715b) As we walked home together , Holmes stopped at a [telegraph] office and sent off several wires .
716e) It may [stop] his gossip .
717b) You must not [interfere] , come what may .
718a) I heard a gentle sound of [movement] , and then all was silent once more , though the smell grew stronger .
719b) It struck cold to our hearts , and I stood [gazing] at Holmes , and he at me , until the last echoes of it had died away into the silence from which it rose .
720e) My companion was a powerful , broad-shouldered young fellow , and , apart from the [weapon] , I should not have had the slightest chance in a struggle with him .
721a) Miss Irene , or Madame , rather , [returns] from her drive at seven .
722a) He was deadly pale and terribly [emaciated] , with the protruding , brilliant eyes of a man whose spirit was greater than his strength .
723a) The place we want must be [somewhere] near that line .
724d) These articles , with two small [wicker-work] chairs , made up all the furniture in the room save for a square of Wilton carpet in the centre .
725c) Upon the floor , close to the body , was lying a singular [club] of hard carved wood with a bone handle .
726e) The more formal we made the [visit] the less information we might obtain .
727c) He was [thin] and worn , but clear and alert , his keen face bronzed by the sun and roughened by the wind .
728a) Now it was clear to me that our lady of to-day had nothing in the house more precious to her than what we are in [quest] of .
729b) I knew that it was my [sister's] voice .
730b) He took a small piece of torn paper from a [note-book] and spread it out upon his knee .
731c) The incidents of the next few days are [indelibly] graven upon my recollection , and I can tell them without reference to the notes made at the time .
732b) I had been casting round for some [excuse] by which I could get away from his gossip , but now I began to wish to hear more of it .
733c) I measured out the distance , which brought me almost to the wall of the house , and I [thrust] a peg into the spot .
734d) A small side door led into the whitewashed corridor from which the three [bedrooms] opened .
735c) My heart [leaped] within me as I saw it .
736c) I had the hint from Holmes that this smooth-faced pawnbroker's assistant was a [formidable] man a man who might play a deep game .
737e) There he is , all [safe] and sound .
738c) These walls are [thick] , and it is conceivable that his shriek , if he had time to utter one , was unheard .
739b) Neither address nor [date] is attached to it .
740e) He could only say that if I [waited] I should hear by post .
741a) And , first , one or two [questions] , Mr. Wilson .
742a) My nets are [closing] upon him , even as his are upon Sir Henry , and with your help he is already almost at my mercy .
743e) As to the photograph , your [client] may rest in peace .
744e) The policeman and I agreed that our best plan would be to [seize] the woman before she could get rid of the papers , presuming that she had them .
745a) He held in his hand a [sheet] of blue paper , scrawled over with notes and figures .
746e) And yet I [suppressed] all appearance of interest .
747d) Therefore something had occurred between [seven-thirty] and nine o'clock which had completely altered her feelings towards him .
748a) The roadway was blocked with the [immense] stream of commerce flowing in a double tide inward and outward , while the footpaths were black with the hurrying swarm of pedestrians .
749c) If I have to call in the aid of the police you will find how [seriously] you are compromised .
750e) The Colonel's body was then placed upon the sofa , and a careful examination made of the [scene] of the tragedy .
751b) The book , however , had been left in the billiard-room , so I [pulled] on my dressing-gown and started off to get it .
752a) He has died within ten [seconds] of being bitten .
753e) The chamber was certainly large , and the way in which my feet sank into the carpet as I [stepped] across it told me of its richness .
754a) I should be [compelled] to stop the night .
755c) He is not a bad fellow , though an absolute [imbecile] in his profession .
756a) I am a [dangerous] man to fall foul of .
757d) Besides this [preliminary] outlay , he must be prepared to keep himself for some years , and to hire a presentable carriage and horse .
758a) Holmes rushed at the bell-pull , tore back a small [sliding] shutter , and , plunging in his hand , pulled out a photograph and a letter .
759b) A few minutes later we were joined by a short , stout man whose olive face and coal-black hair [proclaimed] his Southern origin , though his speech was that of an educated Englishman .
760d) Well , there is nothing very [instructive] in all this .
761d) The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots , and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the [moist] earth .
762c) I give you my [solemn] word upon that .
763b) There were two guides given us to [start] with , an oak and an elm .
764b) Holmes dashed into the crowd to [protect] the lady ; but just as he reached her he gave a cry and dropped to the ground , with the blood running freely down his face .
765c) I could see that she was pretty , and from the gloss with which the light shone upon her dark [dress] I knew that it was a rich material .
766e) I could only move it slightly , and it was with the [aid] of one of the constables that I succeeded at last in carrying it to one side .
767b) They had each been stabbed , it seems , and the Hungarian police were of opinion that they had [quarreled] and had inflicted mortal injuries upon each other .
768e) He'll be cut up over this , for the man has been in his [service] for years and was a good servant .
769e) The chances are that she would be as averse to its being seen by Mr. Godfrey Norton , as our [client] is to its coming to the eyes of his princess .
770e) It came out upon the [landing] opposite to a second more ornamental stair which came up from the front hall .
771b) Holmes's voice [sank] as he answered .
772e) Your mission today has [justified] itself , and yet I could almost wish that you had not left his side .
773c) And your [address] had been given me .
774a) Then you hand over to me three quarters of what you [earn] , and you keep the other quarter for yourself .
775d) Add to that the length of neck and head , and you get a [creature] not much less than two feet long probably more if there is any tail .
776d) The words were hardly out of his mouth before a man appeared at the door of the room , a very fat and burly man , with a heavy [stick] in his hand .
777e) His hair and whiskers were shot with gray , and his face was all crinkled and [puckered] like a withered apple .
778b) Someone in the next room had [lit] a dark-lantern .
779a) He appeared to be [deformed] , for he carried his head low and walked with his knees bent .
780e) It looked as if the pair might take an [immediate] departure , and so necessitate very prompt and energetic measures on my part .
781d) The King may do what he will without [hindrance] from one whom he has cruelly wronged .
782a) Mr. Alec stopped to see if he could help the dying man , and so the [villain] got clean away .
783c) When I thought of the heavy [rains] and looked at the gaping roof I understood how strong and immutable must be the purpose which had kept him in that inhospitable abode .
784b) To the logician all things should be seen exactly as they are , and to [underestimate] one's self is as much a departure from truth as to exaggerate one's own powers .
785a) There is no [communication] between them , but they all open out into the same corridor .
786e) For the moment I could proceed no farther in that direction , but must turn back to that other [clue] which was to be sought for among the stone huts upon the moor .
787c) Otherwise your energy and attention must be [dissipated] instead of being concentrated .
788d) She married an artist named Lyons , who came [sketching] on the moor .
789d) She knocked without receiving any answer , and even turned the [handle] , but only to find that the door was locked upon the inside .
790b) As we ran towards it the vague outline [hardened] into a definite shape .
791c) You must find your own ink , pens , and blotting-paper , but we [provide] this table and chair .
792a) I should like , however , to understand a little more [clearly] what it is that you wish me to do .
793a) Not a [whisper] , not a rustle , rose now from the dark figure over which we stooped .
794d) And yet this new factor must surely arrest his attention and [renew] his interest .
795d) I was still rather [raw] over the deception which had been practised upon me , but the warmth of Holmes's praise drove my anger from my mind .
796a) Mr. Alec , however , was a [dangerous] man to play games of that sort with .
797c) The point under discussion was , how far any singular gift in an individual was due to his [ancestry] and how far to his own early training .
798e) I don't think I ever [drove] faster , but the others were there before us .
799a) We found Holmes pacing up and down in the field , his chin sunk upon his [breast] , and his hands thrust into his trousers pockets .
800c) While there she had met a young man named Harold Latimer , who had acquired an [ascendancy] over her and had eventually persuaded her to fly with him .
801d) You , of course , saw that [everyone] in the street was an accomplice .
802b) He was off like a shot and got [clean] away .
803a) In two hours we must be on the [scene] of action .
804b) I have tried to [reconstruct] it from the measurements .
805c) His heart was [weak] , it appears , and he needed constant medical supervision .
806e) I rushed towards it and pulled at the handle , but it was quite [secure] , and did not give in the least to my kicks and shoves 'Hullo' I yelled 'Hullo .
807b) There are many men in London , you know , who , some from [shyness] , some from misanthropy , have no wish for the company of their fellows .
808a) In one of these [wings] the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards , while the roof was partly caved in , a picture of ruin .
809e) It was the same good friend whose warning I had so [foolishly] rejected .
810b) It was a quiet , little , plainly [furnished] room , with a round table in the centre , on which several German books were scattered .
811b) He had a very dark , [fearsome] face , and a gleam in his eyes that comes back to me in my dreams .
812b) He unwound the [handkerchief] and held out his hand .
813a) In the last century , however , four successive [heirs] were of a dissolute and wasteful disposition , and the family ruin was eventually completed by a gambler in the days of the Regency .
814e) Two hansoms were standing at the door , and as I entered the [passage] I heard the sound of voices from above .
815c) On the table stood a [dark-lantern] with the shutter half open , throwing a brilliant beam of light upon the iron safe , the door of which was ajar .
816a) I had risen from my seat and was knocking out the ashes of my [pipe] when I suddenly heard the clang of the bell .
817c) I had no [opportunity] to tell the baronet what I had learned about Mrs. Lyons upon the evening before , for Dr. Mortimer remained with him at cards until it was very late .
818b) Her father refused to have anything to do with her because she had married without his [consent] and perhaps for one or two other reasons as well .
819d) Holmes drew one of the [chairs] into a corner and sat silent , while his eyes travelled round and round and up and down , taking in every detail of the apartment .
820a) It threw a livid , unnatural circle upon the floor , while in the [shadows] beyond we saw the vague loom of two figures which crouched against the wall .
821a) The first [impression] left by Mrs. Lyons was one of extreme beauty .
822d) Mr. Cunningham had just got into bed , and Mr. Alec was [smoking] a pipe in his dressing-gown .
823b) Four or five minutes afterwards the [sitting-room] window will open .
824a) A frayed top-hat and a [faded] brown overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him .
825d) In normal cases one can place a man in his true [decade] with tolerable confidence .
826c) But the girl held true to me , and it seemed that I would have had her when the [Mutiny] broke out , and all hell was loose in the country .
827d) On the last occasion he had [remarked] that if my friend would only come with me he would be glad to extend his hospitality to him also .
828b) Not another sound broke the heavy silence of the [windless] night .
829d) Now , of course that [suggested] at once that there must be a communication between the two rooms .
830e) I thought the matter over , and I came to the conclusion that I must [approach] the case from another aspect .
831d) Sherlock Holmes's [prophecy] was soon fulfilled , and in a dramatic fashion .
832e) The trap drove on , and a few minutes later we saw a sudden light spring up among the trees as the [lamp] was lit in one of the sitting-rooms .
833d) A young man , very pale and worn , was lying upon a sofa near the open window , through which came the rich [scent] of the garden and the balmy summer air .
834d) There's not a man would cross it after sundown if he was [paid] for it .
835c) The manor-house is , as I have already said , very old , and only one [wing] is now inhabited .
836a) Yet , with all this , you made me [reveal] what you wanted to know .
837d) This second one leads by means of a second small stair to a side door , used by [servants] , and also as a short cut by clerks when coming from Charles Street .
838a) I really had not the [energy] to follow it up save in a very incomplete fashion , but it gave me a basis for some pleasing speculation .
839a) A low [moan] had fallen upon our ears .
840a) If my hair would only change [colour] , here's a nice little crib all ready for me to step into .
841a) As to reward , my profession is its own reward ; but you are at liberty to [defray] whatever expenses I may be put to , at the time which suits you best .
842a) She had thrown them in there at the first opportunity to [remove] the last trace of her crime .
843d) Now , on the other side of this [narrow] wing runs the corridor from which these three rooms open .
844e) From this he took a paper , and returning to his seat he flattened it out beside the taper on the edge of the table , and began to [study] it with minute attention .
845c) We hired a hansom , and in half an hour we were at the [address] which had been given to us .
846a) I tried to puzzle it out , but gave it up in despair and set the matter [aside] until night should bring an explanation .
847d) Matters were in this state , when a new development quite drew our attention away from the [original] mystery .
848c) The unknown might be lurking there , or he might be [prowling] on the moor .
849b) Thrust it into his pocket , most likely , never noticing that a corner of it had been left in the [grip] of the corpse .
850b) For years I've been dreaming of the bright green [fields] and the hedges of England .
851a) As it is , I feel that young man's grip on my throat now , and the father has twisted my [wrist] round in the effort to get the paper out of my hand .
852e) It is most [refreshingly] unusual .
853c) But sometimes a letter may be [legible] even when burned .
854a) It was evident that a [chisel] or strong knife had been thrust in , and the lock forced back with it .
855d) If you examine this scrap with attention you will come to the conclusion that the man with the stronger hand wrote all his words first , leaving [blanks] for the other to fill up .
856b) I had [stooped] and was scraping at this to see exactly what it was when I heard a muttered exclamation in German and saw the cadaverous face of the colonel looking down at me .
857e) The medical evidence showed conclusively that death was [due] to apoplexy .
858a) The firemen had been much [perturbed] at the strange arrangements which they had found within , and still more so by discovering a newly severed human thumb upon a window-sill of the second floor .
859e) His clothes , his watch , and even his money were in his room , but the black [suit] which he usually wore was missing .
860a) In order to [negotiate] with him they have to get an interpreter , and they pitch upon this Mr. Melas , having used some other one before .
861d) I should be very much obliged if you would [slip] your revolver into your pocket .
862e) A meeting of the Guild had been held that evening at eight , and Mrs. Barclay had [hurried] over her dinner in order to be present at it .
863d) I expect that within an hour [matters] will come to a head .
864c) I noticed her pass , but I had no special reason for [watching] her .
865c) Near the foot of the bed stood a dish of [oranges] and a carafe of water .
866e) I shall call with the King [to-morrow] , and with you , if you care to come with us .
867e) Palmer and Pritchard were among the [heads] of their profession .
868d) A vague feeling of [impending] misfortune impressed me .
869d) The lawn is thirty yards across , and is only [divided] from the highway by a low wall with an iron rail above it .
870b) All day today the [rain] poured down , rustling on the ivy and dripping from the eaves .
871c) His secret was a shameful one , and he could not bring himself to [divulge] it .
872e) Miss Hunter screamed and [shrunk] against the wall at the sight of him , but Sherlock Holmes sprang forward and confronted him .
873a) I had no [difficulty] in finding her rooms , which were central and well appointed .
874c) Their reason for choosing so unusual an hour for a [consultation] was obviously to insure that there should be no other patient in the waiting-room .
875e) When a woman thinks that her house is on fire , her [instinct] is at once to rush to the thing which she values most .
876c) There was a chair just under the lamp , and the elderly man [motioned] that I should sit in it .
877a) I've had one or two little turns also with Mr. John Clay , and I [agree] with you that he is at the head of his profession .
878d) We could see the [marks] in the wood where it had been pushed in .
879c) There is no possibility of a secret door , and the [windows] are quite thirty feet from the ground .
880d) For God's sake , sir , I [beg] of you not to let the police know that he is still on the moor .
881d) A vague feeling of [uneasiness] began to steal over me .
882c) You can imagine my [exultation] , Watson , when within two inches of my peg I saw a conical depression in the ground .
883c) The lamps had been [lit] , but the blinds had not been drawn , so that I could see Holmes as he lay upon the couch .
884c) I am a light sleeper , and it has [awakened] me .
885c) In an instant it was [obvious] that we had at last come upon the true place , and that we had not been the only people to visit the spot recently .
886d) The money which my mother had left was enough for all our [wants] , and there seemed to be no obstacle to our happiness .
887c) Already I was unable to stand erect , when my eye caught something which brought a [gush] of hope back to my heart .
888c) It swelled up louder and louder , a [hoarse] yell of pain and fear and anger all mingled in the one dreadful shriek .
889a) The glass smashed into a thousand pieces and the fruit [rolled] about into every corner of the room .
890a) I have told you now the whole truth , and if I withheld it from the police it is because I did not [realize] then the danger in which my dear friend stood .
891c) Have your [pistol] ready in case we should need it .
892e) He dived his arm down to the bottom of the [chest] , and brought up a small wooden box with a sliding lid , such as children's toys are kept in .
893c) During my [school-days] I had been intimately associated with a lad named Percy Phelps , who was of much the same age as myself , though he was two classes ahead of me .
894a) I read death on his face as plain as I can read that [text] over the fire .
895a) Suddenly , as I looked , he rose from his chair , and [walking] over to a bureau at the side , he unlocked it and drew out one of the drawers .
896e) Fresh scandals have eclipsed it , and their more piquant details have [drawn] the gossips away from this four-year-old drama .
897a) It might or might not [bite] the occupant , perhaps she might escape every night for a week , but sooner or later she must fall a victim .
898c) Possibly I had taken no [step] since I had been upon the moor which had not been observed and reported .
899e) He has [nerve] and he has knowledge .
900d) The instant that we heard it , Holmes [sprang] from the bed , struck a match , and lashed furiously with his cane at the bell-pull .
901b) I have already [arranged] what is to occur .
902c) And Holmes' [fears] came to be realised , for from that day to this no word has ever been heard either of the beautiful woman , the sinister German , or the morose Englishman .
903c) I can distinctly remember that as we did so there came three [chimes] from a neighboring clock .
904a) I should not wish a smarter [assistant] , Mr. Holmes ; and I know very well that he could better himself and earn twice what I am able to give him .
905b) With much labour we separated them and carried him , living but horribly [mangled] , into the house .
906d) He does not say so , but I can read it from his soothing [answers] and averted eyes .
907c) He may have been [asleep] , or he may have been so paralyzed with terror as to have been unable to cry out .
908c) No one could pass these [shutters] if they were bolted .
909d) When you [raise] your cry of fire , it will be taken up by quite a number of people .
910a) The butler was standing very [pale] but very collected before us .
911d) When leaving the house she was heard by the coachman to make some commonplace remark to her husband , and to [assure] him that she would be back before very long .
912e) Nor would it be entirely [incompatible] with most of the words overhead .
913e) The carpet prevents any [possibility] of a trap-door , and the ceiling is of the ordinary whitewashed kind .
914e) The proceedings against the page broke down for want of [evidence] , and the Brook Street Mystery , as it was called , has never until now been fully dealt with in any public print .
915a) The portly client puffed out his [chest] with an appearance of some little pride and pulled a dirty and wrinkled newspaper from the inside pocket of his greatcoat .
916d) I shall stand behind this crate , and do you conceal [yourselves] behind those .
917b) The letter had , as I said , been [burned] and it was not all legible .
918a) But I see that the enemy's [preparations] have gone so far that we cannot risk the presence of a light .
919c) I paid the man and [hurried] into the church .
920d) I stooped in some confusion and began to pick up the fruit , understanding for some reason my companion desired me to take the [blame] upon myself .
921d) He came himself to live with me in the character of a [resident] patient .
922e) Sherlock Holmes had listened to this long narrative with an [intentness] which showed me that his interest was keenly aroused .
923e) Such an [excursion] could not be kept secret .
924a) I fainted when it was done , and I think that I must have been [senseless] for a long time .
925e) Then he threw himself down into the chair opposite , and drew up his [knees] until his fingers clasped round his long , thin shins .
926a) The ashes of a fire were [heaped] in a rude grate .
927d) It was certainly more roomy than the ordinary four-wheeled disgrace to London , and the [fittings] , though frayed , were of rich quality .
928b) I had let myself go , and was [hanging] by the hands to the sill , when his blow fell .
929b) Then Sherlock Holmes [pulled] down from the shelf one of the ponderous commonplace books in which he placed his cuttings .
930e) One other detail of interest was [remembered] by Jane Stewart , the housemaid .
931b) Evidently , therefore , Alec Cunningham had lied when he said that the two men were [struggling] when the shot was fired .
932e) Once again I had reached that dead wall which seemed to be [built] across every path by which I tried to get at the object of my mission .
933d) I should like , for example , to see how far the [windows] of the bedrooms command the front .
934e) I thought that she had [fainted] , but she recovered herself by a supreme effort .
935d) Holmes waved away the [compliment] , though his smile showed that it had pleased him .
936b) They all agreed that only two [voices] were to be heard , those of Barclay and of his wife .
937c) A coachman and two [maids] form the staff of servants .
938a) My attention was speedily [drawn] , as I have already remarked to you , to this ventilator , and to the bell-rope which hung down to the bed .
939d) That frightful cry turned the blood to [ice] in my veins .
940b) I had myself extinguished the lamp and [closed] the door before coming to bed .
941b) We had reached the same crowded [thoroughfare] in which we had found ourselves in the morning .
942a) Finally he took the [bell-rope] in his hand and gave it a brisk tug .
943e) Suddenly , however , as I ran , a [deadly] dizziness and sickness came over me .
944b) He had ceased to moan as we laid him down , and a glance showed me that for him at least our [aid] had come too late .
945b) By it he laid the [box] of matches and the stump of a candle .
946b) Ferguson appeared to be a [morose] and silent man , but I could see from the little that he said that he was at least a fellow-countryman .
947e) I realized it as I [drove] back and noted how hill after hill showed traces of the ancient people .
948a) In the evening I put on my waterproof and I walked far upon the [sodden] moor , full of dark imaginings , the rain beating upon my face and the wind whistling about my ears .
949e) I keep it only to [safeguard] myself , and to preserve a weapon which will always secure me from any steps which he might take in the future .
950b) Don't you dare to [meddle] with my affairs .
951a) He was unable , however , to make his way in , and the [maids] were too distracted with fear to be of any assistance to him .
952b) The other was a very small , dark fellow , with his hat pushed back and several [packages] under his arm .
953a) What is the [meaning] of it all .
954a) We had a small [scene] this morning after breakfast .
955b) I staggered to my feet and ran with her along the [corridor] and down a winding stair .
956b) It is to [recompense] you for any inconvenience that we are paying to you , a young and unknown man , a fee which would buy an opinion from the very heads of your profession .
957b) Then I put out my hand and was about to shake the man , who was still [sleeping] soundly , when a bell over his head rang loudly , and he woke with a start .
958d) It appears to be a fragment [torn] from a larger sheet .
959d) Between ourselves , I think Mr. Holmes had not quite got over his [illness] yet .
960a) I was [conscious] of a dull pain , my grip loosened , and I fell into the garden below .
961e) Nothing had been touched or taken , but there were the footprints to [prove] that the intrusion was an undoubted fact .
962d) Finally he returned to the pawnbroker's , and , having thumped vigorously upon the pavement with his [stick] two or three times , he went up to the door and knocked .
963c) He earns his living partly as interpreter in the law courts and partly by acting as [guide] to any wealthy Orientals who may visit the Northumberland Avenue hotels .
964b) We had occasion some months ago to strengthen our [resources] and borrowed for that purpose 30,000 napoleons from the Bank of France .
965a) I came away [baffled] and disheartened .
966c) The boards round and the [panelling] of the walls were of brown , worm-eaten oak , so old and discoloured that it may have dated from the original building of the house .
967d) Let me pass , I say' He [dashed] her to one side , and , rushing to the window , cut at me with his heavy weapon .
968d) It was a [wonderfully] silent house .
969c) I swear that another day shall not have passed before I have done all that man can do to [reach] the heart of the mystery .
970d) A few seconds sufficed to satisfy him , for he [sprang] to his feet again and put his glass in his pocket .
971e) I tell you that he is a [clever] and dangerous man .
972b) He was a dashing , jovial old soldier in his usual mood , but there were occasions on which he seemed to show himself capable of considerable [violence] and vindictiveness .
973b) A terrible scream a [prolonged] yell of horror and anguish burst out of the silence of the moor .
974d) He was acutely uneasy if he were [absent] from her for a day .
975b) I found him much [troubled] over the disappearance of his little spaniel .
976e) We all sat in silence for some little time after [listening] to this extraordinary narrative .
977a) There is a [comfortable] sofa .
978e) So tall was he that his hat [actually] brushed the cross bar of the doorway , and his breadth seemed to span it across from side to side .
979a) The back door was open , and as he came to the foot of the [stairs] he saw two men wrestling together outside .
980e) A maid [rushed] across and threw open the window .
981c) It was one of the main arteries which [conveyed] the traffic of the City to the north and west .
982b) I was instantly [aroused] , and , with the two footmen , started off at once in search of the missing girl .
983b) So far I could [follow] their actions as if I had actually seen them .
984a) One by one the management of the noble houses of Great Britain is [passing] into the hands of our fair cousins from across the Atlantic .
985b) A ventilator is made , a [cord] is hung , and a lady who sleeps in the bed dies .
986a) He was tractable enough , though his son was a perfect [demon] , ready to blow out his own or anybody else's brains if he could have got to his revolver .
987d) On reaching Scotland Yard , however , it was more than an hour before we could get Inspector Gregson and comply with the legal [formalities] which would enable us to enter the house .
988b) It was [incredible] to me that he could have gone away leaving all his property behind him , and yet where could he be .
989c) The bride , who had fortunately entered the house before this unpleasant interruption , had sat down to breakfast with the rest , when she [complained] of a sudden indisposition and retired to her room .
990a) All my unspoken instincts , my [vague] suspicions , suddenly took shape and centred upon the naturalist .
991b) I have told you that she had only recently recovered from an [illness] , and was looking so wretchedly pale and wan that I remonstrated with her for being at work .
992d) It was several miles off , but I could [distinctly] see a small dark dot against the dull green and gray .
993b) We laid him upon the drawing-room [sofa] , and having dispatched the sobered Toller to bear the news to his wife , I did what I could to relieve his pain .
994d) But incredulity and indifference were evidently my [strongest] cards .
995a) Admiration was , I [repeat] , the first impression .
996c) Left his [lodgings] at ten o'clock at night , and has not been heard of since .
997b) At the time the circumstances made a deep [impression] upon me , and the lapse of two years has hardly served to weaken the effect .
998b) He is a bit of a Don Juan , and you can imagine that for a man like him it is not a very [difficult] part to play in a quiet country district .
999e) What is to me a means of [livelihood] is to him the merest hobby of a dilettante .
1000e) Twelve struck , and one and two and three , and still we sat waiting [silently] for whatever might befall .
1001b) Sitting in the [billiard-room] I more than once heard the sound of voices raised , and I had a pretty good idea what the point was which was under discussion .
1002a) I tapped upon the floor , but it sounded the same all over , and there was no sign of any [crack] or crevice .
1003b) Within there was a small corridor , which ended in a very [massive] iron gate .
1004c) I made no allusion to what had passed , and [waited] with some curiosity to see how he would cover his disgrace .
1005d) For a moment or two I sat [breathless] , hardly able to believe my ears .
1006c) But a singular [interruption] brought us to a standstill .
1007d) Then she [threw] open a door which led into a bedroom , through the window of which the moon was shining brightly .
1008e) Then , when I [flash] a light upon them , close in swiftly .
1009a) It is evident , therefore , that if both girls had married , this beauty would have had a [mere] pittance , while even one of them would cripple him to a very serious extent .
1010e) I am sorry to have [interrupted] you .
1011b) Her face fell , however , when she saw that I was a [stranger] , and she sat down again and asked me the object of my visit .
1012b) We had hardly reached the hall when we heard the [baying] of a hound , and then a scream of agony , with a horrible worrying sound which it was dreadful to listen to .
1013a) Sorry to see that you've had the British [workman] in the house .
1014a) Even after I became suspicious , I found it hard to think [evil] of such a dear , kind old clergyman .
1015b) His life was [irregular] , but in one respect he was regularity itself .
1016e) He was all right , as far as money went , but in his [deposit] he had given her what looked like a bad florin .
1017d) Then my senses and my voice came back to me , while a [crushing] weight of responsibility seemed in an instant to be lifted from my soul .
1018d) Across his lap lay the short stock with the long lash which we had [noticed] during the day .
1019d) The bottle was [downstairs] in my laboratory , so leaving my patient seated in his chair , I ran down to get it .
1020e) Suddenly a door opened at the other end of the [passage] , and a long , golden bar of light shot out in our direction .
1021b) It was a [perfect] day , with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens .
1022a) I fastened the rod on end , marked out the direction of the shadow , and [measured] it .
1023c) An elderly man with a red face and shaking limbs came [staggering] out at a side door .
1024e) The lash , however , was [curled] upon itself and tied so as to make a loop of whipcord .
1025e) About nine o'clock the light among the trees was [extinguished] , and all was dark in the direction of the Manor House .
1026b) Had he observed a [carriage] the night before waiting for me .
1027a) I assure you , Sir Henry , that in a very few days the necessary arrangements will have been made and he will be on his way to [South] America .
1028e) We had reached Pall Mall as we [talked] , and were walking down it from the St. James's end .
1029e) He had started [running] swiftly over the moor , and I had followed at his heels .
1030b) Then I walked across to the window , hoping that I might catch some glimpse of the country-side , but an oak [shutter] , heavily barred , was folded across it .
1031e) But the evening has brought a [breeze] with it .
1032d) I am only , of course , giving you the leading [results] now of my examination of the paper .
1033b) My guide stopped and looked about her like one who is at her [wit's] end .
1034c) I should not go too far if I were to say that there was a general [impression] at that time that a distinguished career lay before me .
1035d) Suddenly , amid all the [hubbub] of the gale , there burst forth the wild scream of a terrified woman .
1036b) To me at least there was a strange [contrast] between the sweet promise of the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged .
1037e) An hour and half had [elapsed] before the Inspector returned alone .
1038b) I will never so much as [breathe] the same air with you again .
1039a) When he raised his face again , I was [surprised] to see that his cheek was tinged with color , and his eyes as bright as before his illness .
1040c) The object which had caught his eye was a small dog lash [hung] on one corner of the bed .
