"What! a murderous attack?"
"Very murderous indeed."
"You horrify me."
I sponged the wound, cleaned it, dressed it, and finally coveredit over with cotton wadding and carbolised bandages. He lay backwithout wincing, though he bit his lip from time to time.
"How is that?" I asked when I had finished.
"Capital! Between your brandy and your bandage, I feel a new man.I was very weak, but I have had a good deal to go through."
"Perhaps you had better not speak of the matter. It is evidentlytrying to your nerves."
"Oh, no, not now. I shall have to tell my tale to the police;but, between ourselves, if it were not for the convincingevidence of this wound of mine, I should be surprised if theybelieved my statement, for it is a very extraordinary one, and Ihave not much in the way of proof with which to back it up; and,even if they believe me, the clues which I can give them are sovague that it is a question whether justice will be done."
"Ha!" cried I, "if it is anything in the nature of a problemwhich you desire to see solved, I should strongly recommend youto come to my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, before you go to theofficial police."
"Oh, I have heard of that fellow," answered my visitor, "and Ishould be very glad if he would take the matter up, though ofcourse I must use the official police as well. Would you give mean introduction to him?"
"I'll do better. I'll take you round to him myself."
"I should be immensely obliged to you."
"We'll call a cab and go together. We shall just be in time tohave a little breakfast with him. Do you feel equal to it?"
"Yes; I shall not feel easy until I have told my story."
"Then my servant will call a cab, and I shall be with you in aninstant." I rushed upstairs, explained the matter shortly to mywife, and in five minutes was inside a hansom, driving with mynew acquaintance to Baker Street.
Sherlock Holmes was, as I expected, lounging about hissitting-room in his dressing-gown, reading the agony column of TheTimes and smoking his before-breakfast pipe, which was composedof all the plugs and dottles left from his smokes of the daybefore, all carefully dried and collected on the corner of themantelpiece. He received us in his quietly genial fashion,ordered fresh rashers and eggs, and joined us in a hearty meal.When it was concluded he settled our new acquaintance upon thesofa, placed a pillow beneath his head, and laid a glass ofbrandy and water within his reach.
"It is easy to see that your experience has been no common one,Mr. Hatherley," said he. "Pray, lie down there and make yourselfabsolutely at home. Tell us
what you can, but stop when you aretired and keep up your strength with a little stimulant."
"Thank you," said my patient, "but I have felt another man sincethe doctor bandaged me, and I think that your breakfast hascompleted the cure. I shall take up as little of your valuabletime as possible, so I shall start at once upon my peculiarexperiences."
Holmes sat in his big armchair with the weary, heavy-liddedexpression which veiled his keen and eager nature, while I satopposite to him, and we listened in silence to the strange storywhich our visitor detailed to us.
"You must know," said he, "that I am an orphan and a bachelor,residing alone in lodgings in London. By profession I am ahydraulic engineer, and I have had considerable experience of mywork during the seven years that I was apprenticed to Venner &Matheson, the well-known firm, of Greenwich. Two years ago,having served my time, and having also come into a fair sum ofmoney through my poor father's death, I determined to start inbusiness for myself and took professional chambers in VictoriaStreet.
"I suppose that everyone finds his first independent start inbusiness a dreary experience. To me it has been exceptionally so.During two years I have had three consultations and one smalljob, and that is absolutely all that my profession has broughtme. My gross takings amount to 27 pounds 10s. Every day, fromnine in the morning until four in the afternoon, I waited in mylittle den, until at last my heart began to sink, and I came tobelieve that I should never have any practice at all.
"Yesterday, however, just as I was thinking of leaving theoffice, my clerk entered to say there was a gentleman waiting whowished to see me upon business. He brought up a card, too, withthe name of 'Colonel Lysander Stark' engraved upon it. Close athis heels came the colonel himself, a man rather over the middlesize, but of an exceeding thinness. I do not think that I haveever seen so thin a man. His whole face sharpened away into noseand chin, and the skin of his cheeks was drawn quite tense overhis outstanding bones. Yet this emaciation seemed to be hisnatural habit, and due to no disease, for his eye was bright, hisstep brisk, and his bearing assured. He was plainly but neatlydressed, and his age, I should judge, would be nearer forty thanthirty.
"'Mr. Hatherley?' said he, with something of a German accent.'You have been recommended to me, Mr. Hatherley, as being a manwho is not only proficient in his profession but is also discreetand capable of preserving a secret.'
"I bowed, feeling as flattered as any young man would at such anaddress. 'May I ask who it was who gave me so good a character?'
"'Well, perhaps it is better that I should not tell you that justat this moment. I have it from the same source that you are bothan orphan and a bachelor and are residing alone in London.'
"'That is quite correct,' I answered; 'but you will excuse me ifI say that I cannot see how all this bears upon my professionalqualifications. I understand that it was on a professional matterthat you wished to speak to me?'
"'Undoubtedly so. But you will find that all I say is really tothe point. I have a professional commission for you, but absolutesecrecy is quite essential--absolute secrecy, you understand, andof course we may expect that more from a man who is alone thanfrom one who lives in the bosom of his family.'
"'If I promise to keep a secret,' said I, 'you may absolutelydepend upon my doing so.'
"He looked very hard at me as I spoke, and it seemed to me that Ihad never seen so suspicious and questioning an eye.