THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE

rm. “You’resurprisedtoseeme,sir,”saidhe,inastrange,croakingvoice. IacknowledgedthatIwas. “Well,I’veaconscience,sir,andwhenIchancedtoseeyougointothishouse,asIcamehobblingafteryou,Ithoughttomyself,I’lljuststepinandseethatkindgentleman,andtellhimthatifIwasabitgruffinmymannertherewasnotanyharmmeant,andthatIammuchobligedtohimforpickingupmybooks.” “Youmaketoomuchofatrifle,”saidI.“MayIaskhowyouknewwhoIwas?” “Well,sir,ifitisn’ttoogreataliberty,Iamaneighbourofyours,foryou’llfindmylittlebookshopatthecornerofChurchStreet,andveryhappytoseeyou,Iamsure.Maybeyoucollectyourself,sir.Here’sBritishBirds,andCatullus,andTheHolyWar—abargain,everyoneofthem.Withfivevolumesyoucouldjustfillthatgaponthatsecondshelf.Itlooksuntidy,doesitnot,sir?” Imovedmyheadtolookatthecabinetbehindme.WhenIturnedagain,SherlockHolmeswasstandingsmilingatmeacrossmystudytable.Irosetomyfeet,staredathimforsomesecondsinutteramazement,andthenitappearsthatImusthavefaintedforthefirstandthelasttimeinmylife.Certainlyagreymistswirledbeforemyeyes,andwhenitclearedIfoundmycollar-endsundoneandthetinglingafter-tasteofbrandyuponmylips.Holmeswasbendingovermychair,hisflaskinhishand. “MydearWatson,”saidthewell-rememberedvoice,“Ioweyouathousandapologies.Ihadnoideathatyouwouldbesoaffected.” Igrippedhimbythearms. “Holmes!”Icried.“Isitreallyyou?Canitindeedbethatyouarealive?Isitpossiblethatyousucceededinclimbingoutofthatawfulabyss?” “Waitamoment,”saidhe.“Areyousurethatyouarereallyfittodiscussthings?Ihavegivenyouaseriousshockbymyunnecessarilydramaticreappearance.” “Iamallright,butindeed,Holmes,Icanhardlybelievemyeyes.Goodheavens!tothinkthatyou—youofallmen—shouldbestandinginmystudy.”AgainIgrippedhimbythesleeve,andfeltthethin,sinewyarmbeneathit.“Well,you’renotaspiritanyhow,”saidI.“Mydearchap,I’moverjoyedtoseeyou.Sitdown,andtellmehowyoucamealiveoutofthatdreadfulchasm.” Hesatoppositetome,andlitacigaretteinhisold,nonchalantmanner.Hewasdressedintheseedyfrockcoatofthebookmerchant,buttherestofthatindividuallayinapileofwhitehairandoldbooksuponthetable.Holmeslookedeventhinnerandkeenerthanofold,buttherewasadead-whitetingeinhisaquilinefacewhichtoldmethathisliferecentlyhadnotbeenahealthyone. “Iamgladtostretchmyself,Watson,”saidhe.“Itisnojokewhenatallmanhastotakeafootoffhisstatureforseveralhoursonend.Now,mydearfellow,inthematteroftheseexplanations,wehave,ifImayaskforyourcooperation,ahardanddangerousnight’sworkinfrontofus.PerhapsitwouldbebetterifIgaveyouanaccountofthewholesituationwhenthatworkisfinished.” “Iamfullofcuriosity.Ishouldmuchprefertohearnow.” “You’llcomewithmeto-night?” “Whenyoulikeandwhereyoulike.” “Thisis,indeed,liketheolddays.Weshallhavetimeforamouthfulofdinnerbeforeweneedgo.Well,then,aboutthatchasm.Ihadnoseriousdifficultyingettingoutofit,fortheverysimplereasonthatIneverwasinit.” “Youneverwereinit?” “No,Watson,Ineverwasinit.Mynotetoyouwasabsolutelygenuine.IhadlittledoubtthatIhadcometotheendofmycareerwhenIperceivedthesomewhatsinisterfigureofthelateProfessorMoriartystandinguponthenarrowpathwaywhichledtosafety.Ireadaninexorablepurposeinhisgreyeyes.Iexchangedsomeremarkswithhim,therefore,andobtainedhiscourteouspermissiontowritetheshortnotewhichyouafterwardsreceived.Ileftitwithmycigarette-boxandmystick,andIwalkedalongthepathway,Moriartystillatmyheels.WhenIreachedtheendIstoodatbay.Hedrewnoweapon,butherushedatmeandthrewhislongarmsaroundme.Heknewthathisowngamewasup,andwasonlyanxioustorevengehimselfuponme.Wetotteredtogetheruponthebrinkofthefall.Ihavesomeknowledge,however,ofbaritsu,ortheJapanesesystemofwrestling,whichhasmorethanoncebeenveryusefultome.Islippedthroughhisgrip,andhewithahorriblescreamkickedmadlyforafewseconds,andclawedtheairwithbothhishands.Butforallhiseffortshecouldnotgethisbalance,andoverhewent.Withmyfaceoverthebrink,Isawhimfallforalongway.Thenhestruckarock,boundedoff,andsplashedintothewater.” Ilistenedwithamazementtothisexplanation,whichHolmesdeliveredbetweenthepuffsofhiscigarette. “Butthetracks!”Icried.“Isaw,withmyowneyes,thattwowentdownthepathandnonereturned.” “Itcameaboutinthisway.TheinstantthattheProfessorhaddisappeared,itstruckmewhatareallyextraordinarilyluckychanceFatehadplacedinmyway.IknewthatMoriartywasnottheonlymanwhohadswornmydeath.Therewereatleastthreeotherswhosedesireforvengeanceuponmewouldonlybeincreasedbythedeathoftheirleader.Theywereallmostdangerousmen.Oneorotherwouldcertainlygetme.Ontheotherhand,ifalltheworldwasconvincedthatIwasdeadtheywouldtakeliberties,thesemen,theywouldsoonlaythemselvesopen,andsoonerorlaterIcoulddestroythem.ThenitwouldbetimeformetoannouncethatIwasstillinthelandoftheliving.SorapidlydoesthebrainactthatIbelieveIhadthoughtthisalloutbeforeProfessorMoriartyhadreachedthebottomoftheReichenbachFall. “Istoodupandexaminedtherockywallbehindme.Inyourpicturesqueaccountofthematter,whichIreadwithgreatinterestsomemonthslater,youassertthatthewallwassheer.Thatwasnotliterallytrue.Afewsmallfootholdspresentedthemselves,andtherewassomeindicationofaledge.Thecliffissohighthattoclimbitallwasanobviousimpossibility,anditwasequallyimpossibletomakemywayalongthewetpathwithoutleavingsometracks.Imight,itistrue,havereversedmyboots,asIhavedoneonsimilaroccasions,butthesightofthreesetsoftracksinonedirectionwouldcertainlyhavesuggestedadeception.Onthewhole,then,itwasbestthatIshouldrisktheclimb.Itwasnotapleasantbusiness,Watson.Thefallroaredbeneathme.Iamnotafancifulperson,butIgiveyoumywordthatIseemedtohearMoriarty’svoicescreamingatmeoutoftheabyss.Amistakewouldhavebeenfatal.Morethanonce,astuftsofgrasscameoutinmyhandormyfootslippedinthewetnotchesoftherock,IthoughtthatIwasgone.ButIstruggledupward,andatlastIreachedaledgeseveralfeetdeepandcoveredwithsoftgreenmoss,whereIcouldlieunseen,inthemostperfectcomfort.ThereIwasstretched,whenyou,mydearWatson,andallyourfollowingwereinvestigatinginthemostsympatheticandinefficientmannerthecircumstancesofmydeath. “Atlast,whenyouhadallformedyourinevitableandtotallyerroneousconclusions,youdepartedforthehotel,andIwasleftalone.IhadimaginedthatIhadreachedtheendofmyadventures,butaveryunexpectedoccurrenceshowedmethatthereweresurprisesstillinstoreforme.Ahugerock,fallingfromabove,boomedpastme,struckthepath,andboundedoverintothechasm.ForaninstantIthoughtthatitwasanaccident,butamomentlater,lookingup,Isawaman’sheadagainstthedarkeningsky,andanotherstonestrucktheveryledgeuponwhichIwasstretched,withinafootofmyhead.Ofcourse,themeaningofthiswasobvious.Moriartyhadnotbeenalone.Aconfederate—andeventhatoneglancehadtoldmehowdangerousamanthatconfederatewas—hadkeptguardwhiletheProfessorhadattackedme.Fromadistance,unseenbyme,hehadbeenawitnessofhisfriend’sdeathandofmyescape.Hehadwaited,andthenmakinghiswayroundtothetopofthecliff,hehadendeavouredtosucceedwherehiscomradehadfailed. “Ididnottakelongtothinkaboutit,Watson.AgainIsawthatgrimfacelookoverthecliff,andIknewthatitwastheprecursorofanotherstone.Iscrambleddownontothepath.Idon’tthinkIcouldhavedoneitincoldblood.Itwasahundredtimesmoredifficultthangettingup.ButIhadnotimetothinkofthedanger,foranotherstonesangpastmeasIhungbymyhandsfromtheedgeoftheledge.HalfwaydownIslipped,but,bytheblessingofGod,Ilanded,tornandbleeding,uponthepath.Itooktomyheels,didtenmilesoverthemountainsinthedarkness,andaweeklaterIfoundmyselfinFlorence,withthecertaintythatnooneintheworldknewwhathadbecomeofme. “Ihadonlyoneconfidant—mybrotherMycroft.Ioweyoumanyapologies,mydearWatson,butitwasall-importantthatitshouldbethoughtIwasdead,anditisquitecertainthatyouwouldnothavewrittensoconvincinganaccountofmyunhappyendhadyounotyourselfthoughtthatitwastrue.SeveraltimesduringthelastthreeyearsIhavetakenupmypentowritetoyou,butalwaysIfearedlestyouraffectionateregardformeshouldtemptyoutosomeindiscretionwhichwouldbetraymysecret.ForthatreasonIturnedawayfromyouthiseveningwhenyouupsetmybooks,forIwasindangeratthetime,andanyshowofsurpriseandemotionuponyo