We made our way to Brussels that night and spent two daysthere， moving on upon the third day as far as Strasburg. On theMonday morning Holmes had telegraphed to the London police，and in the evening we found a reply waiting for us at our hotel.
Holmes tore it open， and then with a bitter curse hurled it intothe grate.
“I might have known it！” he groaned. “He has escaped！”
“Moriarty？”
“They have secured the whole gang with the exception of him.
He has given them the slip. Of course， when I had left the countrythere was no one to cope with him. But I did think that I hadput the game in their hands. I think that you had better return toEngland， Watson.”
“Why？”
“Because you will find me a dangerous companion now. Thisman’s occupation is gone. He is lost if he returns to London.
If I read his character right he will devote his whole energies torevenging himself upon me. He said as much in our short interview，and I fancy that he meant it. I should certainly recommend you toreturn to your practice.”
It was hardly an appeal to be successful with one who was an oldcampaigner as well as an old friend. We sat in the Strasburg salleà-manger arguing the question for half an hour， but the same nightwe had resumed our journey and were well on our way to Geneva.
For a charming week we wandered up the Valley of the Rhone，and then， branching off at Leuk， we made our way over the GemmiPass， still deep in snow， and so， by way of Interlaken， to Meiringen.
It was a lovely trip， the dainty green of the spring below， the virginwhite of the winter above； but it was clear to me that never forone instant did Holmes forget the shadow which lay across him.
In the homely Alpine villages or in the lonely mountain passes， Icould tell by his quick glancing eyes and his sharp scrutiny of everyface that passed us， that he was well convinced that， walk wherewe would， we could not walk ourselves clear of the danger whichwas dogging our footsteps.
Once， I remember， as we passed over the Gemmi， and walkedalong the border of the melancholy Daubensee， a large rock whichhad been dislodged from the ridge upon our right clattered downand roared into the lake behind us. In an instant Holmes had racedup on to the ridge， and， standing upon a lofty pinnacle， craned hisneck in every direction. It was in vain that our guide assured himthat a fall of stones was a common chance in the spring-time atthat spot. He said nothing， but he smiled at me with the air of aman who sees the fulfillment of that which he had expected.
And yet for all his watchfulness he was never depressed. On thecontrary， I can never recollect having seen him in such exuberantspirits. Again and again he recurred to the fact that if he could beassured that society was freed from Professor Moriarty he wouldcheerfully bring his own career to a conclusion.
“I think that I may go so far as to say， Watson， that I have notlived wholly in vain，” he remarked. “If my record were closed tonightI could still survey it with equanimity. The air of Londonis the sweeter for my presence. In over a thousand cases I am notaware that I have ever used my powers upon the wrong side. Of lateI have been tempted to look into the problems furnished by naturerather than those more superficial ones for which our artificial stateof society is responsible. Your memoirs will draw to an end， Watson，upon the day that I crown my career by the capture or extinction ofthe most dangerous and capable criminal in Europe.”
I shall be brief， and yet exact， in the little which remains for meto tell. It is not a subject on which I would willingly dwell， and yetI am conscious that a duty devolves upon me to omit no detail.
It was on the third of May that we reached the little village ofMeiringen， where we put up at the Englischer Hof， then kept byPeter Steiler the elder. Our landlord was an intelligent man， andspoke excellent English， having served for three years as waiter atthe Grosvenor Hotel in London. At his advice， on the afternoonof the fourth we set off together， with the intention of crossingthe hills and spending the night at the hamlet of Rosenlaui. Wehad strict injunctions， however， on no account to pass the falls ofReichenbach， which are about halfway up the hill， without makinga small detour to see them.
It is， indeed， a fearful place. The torrent， swollen by the meltingsnow， plunges into a tremendous abyss， from which the spray rollsup like the smoke from a burning house. The shaft into which theriver hurls itself is an immense chasm， lined by glistening coal-blackrock， and narrowing into a creaming， boiling pit of incalculabledepth， which brims over and shoots the stream onward over itsjagged lip. The long sweep of green water roaring forever down， andthe thick flickering curtain of spray hissing forever upward， turn aman giddy with their constant whirl and clamor. We stood near theedge peering down at the gleam of the breaking water far below usagainst the black rocks， and listening to the half-human shout whichcame booming up with the spray out of the abyss.
The path has been cut halfway round the fall to afford a completeview， but it ends abruptly， and the traveler has to return as he came.
We had turned to do so， when we saw a Swiss lad come runningalong it with a letter in his hand. It bore the mark of the hotelwhich we had just left， and was addressed to me by the landlord. Itappeared that within a very few minutes of our leaving， an Englishlady had arrived who was in the last stage of consumption. She hadwintered at Davos Platz， and was journeying now to join her friendsat Lucerne， when a sudden hemorrhage had overtaken her. It wasthought that she could hardly live a few hours， but it would be agreat consolation to her to see an English doctor， and， if I wouldonly return， etc. The good Steiler assured me in a postscript that hewould himself look upon my compliance as a very great favor， sincethe lady absolutely refused to see a Swiss physician， and he couldnot but feel that he was incurring a great responsibility.