er for years.

"yes, mr. holmes, it is as you say, sir. he does smoke

something terrible. all day and sometimes all night, sir.

i've seen that room of a morning -- well, sir, you'd have

thought it was a london fog. poor young mr. smith, he was a

smoker also, but not as bad as the professor. his health --

well, i don't know that it's better nor worse for the

smoking."

"ah!" said holmes, "but it kills the appetite."

"well, i don't know about that, sir."

"i suppose the professor eats hardly anything?"

"well, he is variable. i'll say that for him."

"i'll wager he took no breakfast this morning, and won't

face his lunch after all the cigarettes i saw him consume."

"well, you're out there, sir, as it happens, for he ate a

remarkable big breakfast this morning. i don't know when

i've known him make a better one, and he's ordered a good

dish of cutlets for his lunch. i'm surprised myself, for

since i came into that room yesterday and saw young mr.

smith lying there on the floor i couldn't bear to look at

food. well, it takes all sorts to make a world, and the

professor hasn't let it take his appetite away."

we loitered the morning away in the garden. stanley hopkins

had gone down to the village to look into some rumours of a

strange woman who had been seen by some children on the

chatham road the previous morning. as to my friend, all his

usual energy seemed to have deserted him. i had never known

him handle a case in such a half-hearted fashion. even the

news brought back by hopkins that he had found the children

and that they had undoubtedly seen a woman exactly

corresponding with holmes's description, and wearing either

spectacles or eye-glasses, failed to rouse any sign of keen

interest. he was more attentive when susan, who waited upon

us at lunch, volunteered the information that she believed

mr. smith had been out for a walk yesterday morning, and

that he had only returned half an hour before the tragedy

occurred. i could not myself see the bearing of this

incident, but i clearly perceived that holmes was weaving it

into the general scheme which he had formed in his brain.

suddenly he sprang from his chair and glanced at his watch.

"two o'clock, gentlemen," said he. "we must go up and have

it out with our friend the professor."

the old man had just finished his lunch, and certainly his

empty dish bore evidence to the good appetite with which his

housekeeper had credited him. he was, indeed, a weird

figure as he turned his white mane and his glowing eyes

towards us. the eternal cigarette smouldered in his mouth.

he had been dressed and was seated in an arm-chair by the

fire.

"well, mr. holmes, have you solved this mystery yet?" he

shoved the large tin of cigarettes which stood on a table

beside him towards my companion. holmes stretched out his

hand at the same moment, and between them they tipped the

box over the edge. for a minute or two we were all on our

knees retrieving stray cigarettes from impossible places.

when we rose again i observed that holmes's eyes were

shining and his cheeks tinged with colour. only at a crisis

have i seen those battle-signals flying.

"yes," said he, "i have solved it."

stanley hopkins and i stared in amazement. something like a

sneer quivered over the gaunt features of the old professor.

"indeed! in the garden?"

"no, here."

"here! when?"

"this instant."

"you are surely joking, mr. sherlock holmes. you compel me

to tell you that this is too serious a matter to be treated

in such a fashion."

"i have forged and tested every link of my chain, professor

coram, and i am sure that it is sound. what your motives

are or what exact part you play in this strange business i

am not yet able to say. in a few minutes i shall probably

hear it from your own lips. meanwhile i will reconstruct

what is past for your benefit, so that you may know the

information which i still require.

"a lady yesterday entered your study. she came with the

intention of possessing herself of certain documents which

were in your bureau. she had a key of her own. i have had

an opportunity of examining yours, and i do not find that

slight discoloration which the scratch made upon the varnish

would have produced. you were not an accessory, therefore,

and she came, so far as i can read the evidence, without

your knowledge to rob you."

the professor blew a cloud from his lips. "this is most

interesting and instructive," said he. "have you no more to

add? surely, having traced this lady so far, you can also

say what has become of her."

"i will endeavour to do so. in the first place she was

seized by your secretary, and stabbed him in order to

escape. this catastrophe i am inclined to regard as an

unhappy accident, for i am convinced that the lady had no

intention of inflicting so g