Chapter II The Statement of the Case

ctorinaproblem.Theemotionalqualitiesareantagonistictoclearreasoning.IassureyouthatthemostwinningwomanIeverknewwashangedforpoisoningthreelittlechildrenfortheirinsurance-money,andthemostrepellantmanofmyacquaintanceisaphilanthropistwhohasspentnearlyaquarterofamillionupontheLondonpoor.” “Inthiscase,however—” “Inevermakeexceptions.Anexceptiondisprovestherule.Haveyoueverhadoccasiontostudycharacterinhandwriting?Whatdoyoumakeofthisfellow’sscribble?” “Itislegibleandregular,”Ianswered.“Amanofbusinesshabitsandsomeforceofcharacter.” Holmesshookhishead.“Lookathislongletters,”hesaid.“Theyhardlyriseabovethecommonherd.Thatdmightbeana,andthatlane.Menofcharacteralwaysdifferentiatetheirlongletters,howeverillegiblytheymaywrite.Thereisvacillationinhisk’sandself-esteeminhiscapitals.Iamgoingoutnow.Ihavesomefewreferencestomake.Letmerecommendthisbook,—oneofthemostremarkableeverpenned.ItisWinwoodReade’s‘MartyrdomofMan.’Ishallbebackinanhour.” Isatinthewindowwiththevolumeinmyhand,butmythoughtswerefarfromthedaringspeculationsofthewriter.Mymindranuponourlatevisitor,—hersmiles,thedeeprichtonesofhervoice,thestrangemysterywhichoverhungherlife.Ifshewereseventeenatthetimeofherfather’sdisappearanceshemustbeseven-and-twentynow,—asweetage,whenyouthhaslostitsself-consciousnessandbecomealittlesoberedbyexperience.SoIsatandmused,untilsuchdangerousthoughtscameintomyheadthatIhurriedawaytomydeskandplungedfuriouslyintothelatesttreatiseuponpathology.WhatwasI,anarmysurgeonwithaweaklegandaweakerbanking-account,thatIshoulddaretothinkofsuchthings?Shewasaunit,afactor,—nothingmore.Ifmyfuturewereblack,itwasbettersurelytofaceitlikeamanthantoattempttobrightenitbymerewill-o’-the-wispsoftheimagination.