“Quite so. The W. suggests your own name. The date of thewatch is nearly fifty years back, and the initials are as old as thewatch: so it was made for the last generation. Jewelry usuallydescends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to have the samename as the father. Your father has, if I remember right, been deadmany years. It has, therefore, been in the hands of your eldestbrother.”
“Right, so far,” said I. “Anything else?”
“He was a man of untidy habits—very untidy and careless. Hewas left with good prospects, but he threw away his chances,lived for some time in poverty with occasional short intervals ofprosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died. That is all I cangather.”
I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently about the roomwith considerable bitterness in my heart.
“This is unworthy of you, Holmes,” I said. “I could not havebelieved that you would have descended to this. You have madeinquires into the history of my unhappy brother, and you nowpretend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful way. Youcannot expect me to believe that you have read all this fromhis old watch! It is unkind and, to speak plainly, has a touch ofcharlatanism in it.”
“My dear doctor,” said he, kindly, “pray accept my apologies.
Viewing the matter as an abstract problem, I had forgotten howpersonal and painful a thing it might be to you. I assure you,however, that I never even knew that you had a brother until youhanded me the watch.”
“Then how in the name of all that is wonderful did you get thesefacts? They are absolutely correct in every particular.”
“Ah, that is good luck. I could only say what was the balance ofprobability. I did not at all expect to be so accurate.”
“But it was not mere guesswork?”
“No, no: I never guess. It is a shocking habit—destructive tothe logical faculty. What seems strange to you is only so becauseyou do not follow my train of thought or observe the small factsupon which large inferences may depend. For example, I beganby stating that your brother was careless. When you observe thelower part of that watch-case you notice that it is not only dintedin two places but it is cut and marked all over from the habit ofkeeping other hard objects, such as coins or keys, in the samepocket. Surely it is no great feat to assume that a man who treats afifty-guinea watch so cavalierly must be a careless man. Neither isit a very far-fetched inference that a man who inherits one articleof such value is pretty well provided for in other respects.”
I nodded to show that I followed his reasoning.
“It is very customary for pawnbrokers in England, when theytake a watch, to scratch the number of the ticket with a pinpointupon the inside of the case. It is more handy than a label as thereis no risk of the number being lost or transposed. There are noless than four such numbers visible to my lens on the inside ofthis case. Inference—that your brother was often at low water.
Secondary inference—that he had occasional bursts of prosperity,or he could not have redeemed the pledge. Finally, I ask you tolook at the inner plate, which contains the keyhole. Look at thethousands of scratches all round the hole—marks where thekey has slipped. What sober man’s key could have scored thosegrooves? But you will never see a drunkard’s watch without them.
He winds it at night, and he leaves these traces of his unsteadyhand. Where is the mystery in all this?”
“It is as clear as daylight,” I answered. “I regret the injusticewhich I did you. I should have had more faith in your marvellousfaculty. May I ask whether you have any professional inquiry onfoot at present?”
“None. Hence the cocaine. I cannot live without brainwork.
What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. Was eversuch a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fogswirls down the street and drifts across the dun-colored houses.
What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is theuse of having powers, doctor, when one has no field upon whichto exert them? Crime is commonplace, existence is commonplace,and no qualities save those which are commonplace have anyfunction upon earth.”
I had opened my mouth to reply to this tirade when, with a crispknock, our landlady entered, bearing a card upon the brass salver.
“A young lady for you, sir,” she said, addressing my companion.
“Miss Mary Morstan,” he read. “Hum! I have no recollection ofthe name. Ask the young lady to step up, Mrs. Hudson. Don’t go,Doctor. I should prefer that you remain.”
The Statement of the Case
Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm step and an outwardcomposure of manner. She was a blonde young lady, small, dainty,well gloved, and dressed in the most perfect taste. There was,however, a plainness and simplicity about her costume which borewith it a suggestion of limited means. The dress was a sombregrayish beige, untrimmed and unbraided, and she wore a smallturban of the same dull hue, relieved only by a suspicion of whitefeather in the side. Her face had neither regularity of feature norbeauty of complexion, but her expression was sweet and amiable,and her large blue eyes were singularly spiritual and sympathetic.
In an experience of women which extends over many nations andthree separate continents, I have never looked upon a face whichgave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature. I couldnot but observe that as she took the seat which Sherlock Holmesplaced for her, her lip trembled, her hand quivered, and sheshowed every sign of intense inward agitation.
“I have come to you, Mr. Holmes,” she said, “because you onceenabled my employer, Mrs. Cecil Forrester, to unravel a littledomestic complication. She was much impressed by your kindnessand skill.”
“Mrs. Cecil Forrester,” he repeated thoughtfully. “I believe that Iwas of some slight service to her. The case, however, as I rememberit, was a very simple one.”