V.THE FIVE ORANGE PIPS

WhenIglanceovermynotesandrecordsoftheSherlockHolmescasesbetweentheyears’82and’90,Iamfacedbysomanywhichpresentstrangeandinterestingfeaturesthatitisnoeasymattertoknowwhichtochooseandwhichtoleave.Some,however,havealreadygainedpublicitythroughthepapers,andothershavenotofferedafieldforthosepeculiarqualitieswhichmyfriendpossessedinsohighadegree,andwhichitistheobjectofthesepaperstoillustrate.Some,too,havebaffledhisanalyticalskill,andwouldbe,asnarratives,beginningswithoutanending,whileothershavebeenbutpartiallyclearedup,andhavetheirexplanationsfoundedratheruponconjectureandsurmisethanonthatabsolutelogicalproofwhichwassodeartohim.Thereis,however,oneoftheselastwhichwassoremarkableinitsdetailsandsostartlinginitsresultsthatIamtemptedtogivesomeaccountofitinspiteofthefactthattherearepointsinconnectionwithitwhichneverhavebeen,andprobablyneverwillbe,entirelyclearedup. Theyear’87furnisheduswithalongseriesofcasesofgreaterorlessinterest,ofwhichIretaintherecords.AmongmyheadingsunderthisonetwelvemonthsIfindanaccountoftheadventureoftheParadolChamber,oftheAmateurMendicantSociety,whoheldaluxuriousclubinthelowervaultofafurniturewarehouse,ofthefactsconnectedwiththelossoftheBritishbarqueSophyAnderson,ofthesingularadventuresoftheGricePatersonsintheislandofUffa,andfinallyoftheCamberwellpoisoningcase.Inthelatter,asmayberemembered,SherlockHolmeswasable,bywindingupthedeadman’swatch,toprovethatithadbeenwounduptwohoursbefore,andthatthereforethedeceasedhadgonetobedwithinthattime—adeductionwhichwasofthegreatestimportanceinclearingupthecase.AlltheseImaysketchoutatsomefuturedate,butnoneofthempresentsuchsingularfeaturesasthestrangetrainofcircumstanceswhichIhavenowtakenupmypentodescribe. ItwasinthelatterdaysofSeptember,andtheequinoctialgaleshadsetinwithexceptionalviolence.Alldaythewindhadscreamedandtherainhadbeatenagainstthewindows,sothatevenhereintheheartofgreat,hand-madeLondonwewereforcedtoraiseourmindsfortheinstantfromtheroutineoflifeandtorecognisethepresenceofthosegreatelementalforceswhichshriekatmankindthroughthebarsofhiscivilisation,likeuntamedbeastsinacage.Aseveningdrewin,thestormgrewhigherandlouder,andthewindcriedandsobbedlikeachildinthechimney.SherlockHolmessatmoodilyatonesideofthefireplacecross-indexinghisrecordsofcrime,whileIattheotherwasdeepinoneofClarkRussell’sfinesea-storiesuntilthehowlofthegalefromwithoutseemedtoblendwiththetext,andthesplashoftheraintolengthenoutintothelongswashoftheseawaves.Mywifewasonavisittohermother’s,andforafewdaysIwasadwelleroncemoreinmyoldquartersatBakerStreet. “Why,”saidI,glancingupatmycompanion,“thatwassurelythebell.Whocouldcometo-night?Somefriendofyours,perhaps?” “ExceptyourselfIhavenone,”heanswered.“Idonotencouragevisitors.” “Aclient,then?” “Ifso,itisaseriouscase.Nothinglesswouldbringamanoutonsuchadayandatsuchanhour.ButItakeitthatitismorelikelytobesomecronyofthelandlady’s.” SherlockHolmeswaswronginhisconjecture,however,fortherecameastepinthepassageandatappingatthedoor.Hestretchedouthislongarmtoturnthelampawayfromhimselfandtowardsthevacantchairuponwhichanewcomermustsit. “Comein!”saidhe. Themanwhoenteredwasyoung,sometwo-and-twentyattheoutside,well-groomedandtrimlyclad,withsomethingofrefinementanddelicacyinhisbearing.Thestreamingumbrellawhichheheldinhishand,andhislongshiningwaterprooftoldofthefierceweatherthroughwhichhehadcome.Helookedabouthimanxiouslyintheglareofthelamp,andIcouldseethathisfacewaspaleandhiseyesheavy,likethoseofamanwhoisweigheddownwithsomegreatanxiety. “Ioweyouanapology,”hesaid,raisinghisgoldenpince-neztohiseyes.“ItrustthatIamnotintruding.IfearthatIhavebroughtsometracesofthestormandrainintoyoursnugchamber.” “Givemeyourcoatandumbrella,”saidHolmes.“Theymayresthereonthehookandwillbedrypresently.Youhavecomeupfromthesouth-west,Isee.” “Yes,fromHorsham.” “ThatclayandchalkmixturewhichIseeuponyourtoecapsisquitedistinctive.” “Ihavecomeforadvice.” “Thatiseasilygot.” “Andhelp.” “Thatisnotalwayssoeasy.” “Ihaveheardofyou,Mr.Holmes.IheardfromMajorPrendergasthowyousavedhimintheTankervilleClubscandal.” “Ah,ofcourse.Hewaswrongfullyaccusedofcheatingatcards.” “Hesaidthatyoucouldsolveanything.” “Hesaidtoomuch.” “Thatyouareneverbeaten.” “Ihavebeenbeatenfourtimes—threetimesbymen,andoncebyawoman.” “Butwhatisthatcomparedwiththenumberofyoursuccesses?” “ItistruethatIhavebeengenerallysuccessful.” “Thenyoumaybesowithme.” “Ibegthatyouwilldrawyourchairuptothefireandfavourmewithsomedetailsastoyourcase.” “Itisnoordinaryone.” “Noneofthosewhichcometomeare.Iamthelastcourtofappeal.” “AndyetIquestion,sir,whether,inallyourexperience,youhaveeverlistenedtoamoremysteriousandinexplicablechainofeventsthanthosewhichhavehappenedinmyownfamily.” “Youfillmewithinterest,”saidHolmes.“Praygiveustheessentialfactsfromthecommencement,andIcanafterwardsquestionyouastothosedetailswhichseemtometobemostimportant.” Theyoungmanpulledhischairupandpushedhiswetfeetouttowardstheblaze. “Myname,”saidhe,“isJohnOpenshaw,butmyownaffairshave,asfarasIcanunderstand,littletodowiththisawfulbusiness.Itisahereditarymattersoinordertogiveyouanideaofthefacts,Imustgobacktothecommencementoftheaffair. “Youmustknowthatmygrandfatherhadtwosons—myuncleEliasandmyfatherJoseph.MyfatherhadasmallfactoryatCoventry,whichheenlargedatthetimeoftheinventionofbicycling.HewasapatenteeoftheOpenshawunbreakabletire,andhisbusinessmetwithsuchsuccessthathewasabletosellitandtoretireuponahandsomecompetence. “MyuncleEliasemigratedtoAmericawhenhewasayoungmanandbecameaplanterinFlorida,wherehewasreportedtohavedoneverywell.AtthetimeofthewarhefoughtinJackson’sarmy,andafterwardsunderHood,whereherosetobeacolonel.WhenLeelaiddownhisarmsmyunclereturnedtohisplantation,whereheremainedforthreeorfouryears.About1869or1870hecamebacktoEuropeandtookasmallestateinSussex,nearHorsham.HehadmadeaveryconsiderablefortuneintheStates,andhisreasonforleavingthemwashisaversiontothenegroes,andhisdislikeoftheRepublicanpolicyinextendingthefranchisetothem.Hewasasingularman,fierceandquick-tempered,veryfoul-mouthedwhenhewasangry,andofamostretiringdisposition.DuringalltheyearsthathelivedatHorsham,Idoubtifeverhesetfootinthetown.Hehadagardenandtwoorthreefieldsroundhishouse,andtherehewouldtakehisexercise,thoughveryoftenforweeksonendhewouldneverleavehisroom.Hedrankagreatdealofbrandyandsmokedveryheavily,buthewouldseenosocietyanddidnotwantanyfriends,notevenhisownbrother. “Hedidn’tmindmeinfact,hetookafancytome,foratthetimewhenhesawmefirstIwasayoungsteroftwelveorso.Thiswouldbeintheyear1878,afterhehadbeeneightornineyearsinEngland.Hebeg