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                                SHERLOCK HOLMES

                        THE ADVENTURE OF WISTERIA LODGE

                           by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

  1。 The Singular Experience of Mr。 John Scott Eccles



  I find it recorded in my notebook that it was a bleak and windy day;

towards the end of March in the year 1892。 Holmes had received a

telegram while we sat at our lunch; and he had scribbled a reply。 He

made no remark; but the matter remained in his thoughts; for he

stood in front of the fire afterwards with a thoughtful face;

smoking his pipe; and casting an occasional glance at the message。

Suddenly he turned upon me with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes。

  〃I suppose; Watson; We must look upon you as a man of letters;〃 said

he。 〃How do you define the word 'grotesque'?〃

  〃Strange… remarkable;〃 I suggested。

  He shook his head at my definition。

  〃There is surely something more than that;〃 said he; 〃some

underlying suggestion of the tragic and the terrible。 If you cast your

mind back to some of those narratives with which you have afflicted

a long…suffering public; you will recognize how often the grotesque

has deepened into the criminal。 Think of that little affair of the

red…headed men。 That was grotesque enough in the outset and yet it

ended in a desperate attempt at robbery。 Or; again; there was that

most grotesque affair of the five orange pips; which led straight to a

murderous conspiracy。 The word puts me on the alert。〃

  〃Have you it there?〃 I asked。

  He read the telegram aloud。



  〃Have just had most incredible and grotesque experience。 May I

consult you?〃

                                              〃SCOTT ECCLES;

                                     〃Post…Office; Charing Cross。〃



  〃Man or woman?〃 I asked。

  〃Oh; man; of course。 No woman would ever send a reply…paid telegram。

She would have come。〃

  〃Will you see him?〃

  〃My dear Watson; you know how bored I have been since we locked up

Colonel Carruthers。 My mind is like a racing engine; tearing itself to

pieces because it is not connected up with the work for which it was

built。 Life is commonplace; the papers are sterile; audacity and

romance seem to have passed forever from the criminal world。 Can you

ask me; then; whether I am ready to look into any new problem; however

trivial it may prove? But here; unless I am mistaken; is our client。〃

  A measured step was heard upon the stairs; and a moment later a

stout; tall; gray…whiskered and solemnly respectable person was

ushered into the room。 His life history was written in his heavy

features and pompous manner。 From his spats to his gold…rimmed

spectacles he was a Conservative; a churchman; a good citizen;

orthodox and conventional to the last degree。 But some amazing

experience had disturbed his native composure and left its traces in

his bristling hair; his flushed; angry cheeks; and his flurried;

excited manner。 He plunged instantly into his business。

  〃I have had a most singular and unpleasant experience; Mr。

Holmes;〃 said he。 〃Never in my life have I been placed in such a

situation。 It is most improper… most outrageous。 I must insist upon

some explanation。〃 He swelled and puffed in his anger。

  〃Pray sit down; Mr。 Scott Eccles;〃 said Holmes in a soothing

voice。 〃May I ask; in the first place; why you came to me at all?〃

  〃Well; sir; it did not appear to be a matter which concerned the

police; and yet; when you have heard the facts; you must admit that

I could not leave it where it was。 Private detectives are a class with

whom I have absolutely no sympathy; but none the less; having heard

your name…〃

  〃Quite so。 But; in the second place; why did you not come at once?〃

  〃What do you mean?〃

  Holmes glanced at his watch。

  〃It is a quarter…past two;〃 he said。 〃Your telegram was dispatched

about one。 But no one can glance at your toilet and attire without

seeing that your disturbance dates from the moment of your waking。〃

  Our client smoothed down his unbrushed hair and felt his unshaven

chin。

  〃You are right; Mr。 Holmes。 I never gave a thought to my toilet。 I

was only too glad to get out of such a house。 But I have been

running round making inquiries before I came to you。 I went to the

house agents; you know; and they said that Mr。 Garcia's rent was

paid up all right and that everything was in order at Wisteria Lodge。〃

  〃Come; come; sir;〃 said Holmes; laughing。 〃You are like my friend;

Dr。 Watson; who has a bad habit of telling his stories wrong end

foremost。 Please arrange your thoughts and let me know; in their due

sequence; exactly what those events are which have sent you out

unbrushed and unkempt; with dress boots and waistcoat buttoned awry;

in search of advice and assistance。〃

  Our client looked down with a rueful face at his own

unconventional appearance。

  〃I'm sure it must look very bad; Mr。 Holmes; and I am not aware that

in my whole life such a thing has ever happened before。 But I will

tell you the whole queer business; and when I have done so you will

admit I am sure; that there has been enough to excuse me。〃

   But his narrative was nipped in the bud。 There was a bustle

outside; and Mrs。 Hudson opened the door to usher in two robust and

official…looking individuals; one of whom was well known to us as

Inspector Gregson of Scotland Yard; an energetic; gallant and;

within his limitations; a capable officer。 He shook hands with

Holmes and introduced his comrade as Inspector Baynes; of the Surrey

Constabulary。

  〃We are hunting together; Mr。 Holmes; and our trail lay in this

direction。〃 He turned his bulldog eyes upon our visitor。 〃Are You

Mr。 John Scott Eccles; of Popham House; Lee?〃

  〃I am。〃

  〃We have been following you about all the morning。〃

 〃You traced him through the telegram; no doubt;〃 said Holmes。

  Exactly; Mr。 Holmes。 We picked up the scent at Charing Cross

Post…Office and came on here。〃

  〃But why do you follow me? What do you want?〃

  〃We wish a statement; Mr。 Scott Eccles; as to the events which led

up to the death last night of Mr。 Aloysius Garcia; of Wisteria

Lodge; near Esher。〃

  Our client had sat up with staring eyes and every tinge of colour

struck from his astonished face。

  〃Dead? Did you say he was dead?〃

  〃Yes; sir; he is dead。〃

  〃But how? An accident?〃

  〃Murder; if ever there was one upon earth。〃

  〃Good God! This is awful! You don't mean… you don't mean that I am

suspected?〃

  〃A letter of yours was found in the dead man's pocket; and we know

by it that you had planned to pass last night at his house。〃

  〃So I did。〃

  〃Oh; you did; did you?〃

  Out came the official notebook。

  〃Wait a bit Gregson;〃 said Sherlock Holmes。 〃All you desire is a

plain statement is it not?〃

  〃And it is my duty to warn Mr。 Scott Eccles that it may be used

against him。〃

  〃Mr。 Eccles was going to tell us about it when you entered the room。

I think; Watson; a brandy and soda would do him no harm。 Now; sir; I

suggest that you take no notice of this addition to your audience; and

that you proceed with your narrative exactly as you would have done

had you never been interrupted。〃

  Our visitor had gulped off the brandy and the colour had returned to

his face。 With a dubious glance at the inspector's notebook; he

plunged at once into his extraordinary statement。

  〃I am a bachelor;〃 said he; 〃and being of a sociable turn I

cultivate a large number of friends。 Among these are the family of a

retired brewer called Melville; living at Albemarle Mansion;

Kensington。 It was at his table that I met some weeks ago a young

fellow named Garcia。 He was; I understood; of Spanish descent and

connected in some way with the embassy。 He spoke perfect English;

was pleasing in his manners; and as good…looking a man as ever I saw

in my life。

  〃In some way we struck up quite a friendship; this young fellow

and I。 He seemed to take a fancy to me from the first; and within

two days of our meeting he came to see me at Lee。 One thing led to

another; and it ended in his inviting me out to spend a few days at

his house; Wi

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