我婚後不久，在帕丁頓區買了一個診所，是從老法誇爾先生手中買下的。有一個時期老法誇爾先生的診療業務非常興旺，可是由於他的年紀大了，又加上遭受一種舞蹈病的折磨，他的門庭也就逐漸冷落下來。因為人們很自然地遵守一條準則，那就是：醫生必須首先自身健康，才能治好別人；如果連自己也不能藥到病除，那人們對他的醫術自然要冷眼相視了。所以，我的這位老前輩身體越衰弱，他的收入就越微薄，到我買下這個診所時，他的收入已經由每年一千二百鎊降到三百多鎊了。然而，我偏以自己年歲正輕、精力旺盛而自信，認為不要幾年，這個診所一定會恢復舊日的興旺。
　　 開業後三個月，我一直忙於醫務，很少見到我的朋友歇洛剋·福爾摩斯。因為我非常忙，無暇到貝剋街去，而福爾摩斯自己，除了偵探業務需要，也很少到別處走走。六月裏的一天清晨，早餐後，我正坐下來閱讀《英國醫務雜志》，忽聽一陣鈴聲，隨後就傳來我那老夥伴高亢而有點刺耳的話語聲，這真令我十分驚奇。
　　 “啊，我親愛的華生，”福爾摩斯大踏步走進房內說道，”非常高興見到你！我相信，”四簽名”案件尊夫人受了驚，現在想必完全恢復健康了。”
　　 “謝謝你，我們兩個人都很好，”我非常熱情地握着他的手說。
　　 “我也希望，”他坐到搖椅上，繼續說道，“儘管你關心醫務，可不要把你對我們小小的推理法産生的興趣完全忘掉了。”
　　 “恰恰相反，”我回答道，”就在昨天夜晚，我還把原來的筆記一一過目，並且還把我們的破案成果分了類呢。”
　　 “我相信你不會認為資料搜集到此為止了吧。”
　　 “一點也不會的。我希望這樣的經歷愈多愈好！”
　　 “譬如說，今天就去怎麽樣。”
　　 “可以，如果你願意，今天就去吧。”
　　 “去伯明翰這樣遠的地方也行嗎？”
　　 “如果你願意，當然可以。”
　　 “那麽你的醫務呢？”
　　 “我鄰居外出，我就替他行醫。他總想報答我這份情意。”
　　 “哈！這再好也沒有了！”福爾摩斯嚮後仰靠在椅子上，眯縫着雙眼敏銳地望着我，”我發現你最近一定身體不好，夏天感冒總是有點令人討厭的。”
　　 “上星期我得了重感冒，三天沒有出門。可是，我想我現在已經完全好了。”
　　 “這一點不錯，你看起來很壯實。”
　　 “那麽，你怎麽知道我生過病呢？”
　　 “我親愛的夥計，你是知道我的方法的。”
　　 “那麽，又靠你的推理法了。”
　　 “一點也不錯。”
　　 “從何說起呢？”
　　 “從你的拖鞋上。”
　　 我低頭看了看我腳上穿的那雙新漆皮拖鞋，“你究竟是怎樣……”我開始說，可是福爾摩斯沒等我問完就先開了口。
　　 “你的拖鞋是新的，”他說道，“你買來還不到幾個星期。可是我看那衝嚮我這邊的鞋底已經燒焦了。起初我以為是沾了水後在火上烘幹時燒焦的。可是鞋面上有個小圓紙起，上面寫着店員的代號。如果鞋子沾過水，這代號紙片早該掉了。所以你一定是依爐伸腳烤火烤焦了鞋底。一個人要是無病無災，即使在六月份這樣潮濕的天氣，他也不會輕易去烤火的。”
　　 就象福爾摩斯的所有推理一樣，事情一經解釋，本身看來非常簡單。他從我臉上看出了我的想法，笑了起來，但卻有些挖苦的意味。
　　 “恐怕我這麽一解釋，就泄露了天機，”他說道，“衹講結果不講原因反而會給人留下更深的印象。那麽，你是準備到伯明翰去了？”
　　 “當然了。這件案子是怎麽一回事？”
　　 “到火車上我把這一切講給你聽。我的委托人在外面四輪馬車上等着。你能馬上走吧？”
　　 “稍等一等，”我急匆匆地給鄰人寫了一條便條，跑上樓去嚮我妻子說明了一下，到門外石階上趕上了福爾摩斯。
　　 “你的鄰居是一個醫生，”福爾摩斯嚮隔壁門上的黃銅門牌點頭示意說。
　　 “對，他也象我一樣，買了一個診療所。”
　　 “這個診療所老早就有了？”
　　 “和我的一樣，從房子一建成，兩個診療所就成立了。”
　　 “啊！那麽，你這邊生意比較好些了。”
　　 “我想是這樣。可是你怎麽知道的？”
　　 “從臺階上看出來的，我的朋友。你傢臺階比他傢的磨薄了三英寸。馬車上這位先生就是我的委托人，霍爾·派剋羅夫特先生。請允許我來介紹一下。喂，車夫，把馬趕快點，我們的時間剛好能趕上火車。”
　　 我坐在派剋羅夫特先生對面，他是一個身材魁偉、氣宇軒昂的年輕人，表情坦率而誠懇，有一點捲麯的小黃鬍子，戴一頂閃亮的大禮帽．穿一套整潔而樸素的黑衣服，使我們一眼就看出他原來是那種聰明伶俐的城市青年。他們屬於被稱為”倫敦佬”的那一類人，我國最負盛名的義勇軍團，就是①由這類人組成的；在英倫三島上這類人中涌現的優秀體育傢和運動員比其它階層的都多。他那紅潤的圓臉很自然地帶着愉快的表情，可是他的嘴角下垂，我覺得他有一種異樣的悲傷。然而，直到我們坐在頭等車廂裏，動身去伯明翰的途中，我纔知道他碰到的那件麻煩事。他就是因為這件事纔來找歇洛剋·福爾摩斯的。
　　 “我們要坐七十分鐘的火車，”福爾摩斯說道，“霍爾·派剋羅夫特先生，請你把給我談過的那些非常有趣的經歷，原原本本地講給我的朋友聽，並請你盡可能講詳細一些。再聽一遍這些事件的經過對我也有用。華生，這件案子可能有些名堂，也可能沒有。不過，至少顯示出你我都喜愛的那些不①倫敦佬指居住在倫敦東區（平民區）的人。——譯者註平常和荒誕的特徵，現在，派剋羅夫特先生，我不再打擾你了。”
　　 我們的年輕旅伴雙眼閃光望着我。
　　 “這事情最糟糕的是，”他說道，“我似乎完全上當了。當然，看起來好象沒有上當，我也沒看出來已經上當了。不過，如果我真的把這個飯碗丟掉，換得的代價是一場空，那麽我該是一個多麽傻的傢夥呀。華生先生，我不善於講故事，可是我遇到的事情是這樣的：
　　 “我以前在德雷珀廣場旁的考剋森和伍德豪斯商行供職，可是今年春初商行捲入了委內瑞拉公債券案，以致一蹶不振，這你無疑還記得。當商行破産時，我們二十七名職員當然全被辭退了。我在那裏供職五年，老考剋森給了我一份評價很高的鑒定書。我東跑跑，西試試，可是很多人處境和我一樣，所以很長一段時間到處碰壁。我在考剋森商行時每星期薪金三鎊，我儲蓄了大約七十鎊，可是我就靠這一點積蓄維持生活，很快就用光了。我終於到了山窮水盡的地步，幾乎連應徵廣告的回信信封和郵票都買不起。我找了多少公司、商店，上下樓梯都磨破了靴子，可是要找到職位仍然是音信杳然。
　　 “我終於聽說竜巴德街的一傢大證券商行——莫森和威廉斯商行有一個空缺。我鬥膽說，你對倫敦東部中央郵政區的情況可能不太熟悉，可是我可以告訴你，這是倫敦一傢最富的商行。那傢公司規定，衹能通過信函應徵它的招聘廣告。我把我的鑒定書和申請書都寄了去，可是並不抱多大希望。不料突然接到了回信，信中說，如果我下星期一到那裏，而我的外表符合要求的，我立即可以就任新職。誰也不知道傢是怎麽挑選的。有人說，這是經理把手伸到一堆申請書裏，隨手揀起了一份。不管怎麽說，這次是我走運，而我從來也沒有象這樣高興過。薪水開始是一星期一鎊，職務和我在考剋森商行一樣。
　　 “現在我就要說到這件事的古怪之處了。我住在漢普斯特德附近波特巷１７號的一個寓所。對了，就在得到任用通知的那天晚上，我正坐在那裏吸煙，房東太太拿着一張名片進屋來，名片上面印着”財政經理人阿瑟·平納”。我從來未聽說過這個人的名字，更想不出他找我幹什麽。可是我當然還是讓她把那人請進來。進來的人是中等身材，黑發，黑眼，黑鬍須，鼻子有點發亮。他走路輕快，說話急促，仿佛是一個珍惜時間的人。
　　 “我想，你是霍爾·派剋羅夫特先生吧？”他問道。
　　 “是的，先生，”我回答道，同時拉過一把椅子給他。
　　 “以前是在考剋森和伍德豪斯商行做事嗎？”
　　 “是的，先生。”
　　 “是莫森商行新錄用的書記員嗎？”
　　 “正是這樣。”
　　 “啊，”他說道，“事情是這樣的，我聽說你在理財方面很有才幹，有許多不凡的事跡。你記得考剋森的經理帕剋吧，他對你總是贊不絶口的。”
　　 “聽他這麽說，我當然高興了。我在業務上一嚮精明能幹，可從未夢想到城裏竟有人這樣稱贊我。
　　 “你的記憶力很好嗎？”他說道。
　　 “還算不錯，”我謙恭地回答道。
　　 “你失業以後，對商情還留意嗎？”他問道。
　　 “是的。我每天早上都要看證券交易所的牌價表。”
　　 “真下功夫啊！”他大聲喊道，”這纔是生財之道呢！你不反對我來測驗你一下吧？請問埃爾郡股票牌價是多少？”
　　 “一百零六鎊五先令至一百零五鎊十七先令半。”
　　 “新西蘭統一公債呢？”
　　 “一百零四鎊。”
　　 “英國布羅肯·希爾恩股起呢？”
　　 “七鎊至七鎊六先令。”
　　 “太好了！”他舉起雙手歡呼道，”這完全符合我知道的行情。我的朋友，我的朋友，你到莫森商行去當書記員太屈纔了！”
　　 “你想想，他這樣狂喜多麽使我感到驚奇。“啊，”我說道，“別人可不象你這樣替我着想，平納先生。我找到這份差事可不容易，我可非常喜歡它呢。”
　　 “什麽話，先生，你理應飛黃騰達，幹這事是不得其所。我要告訴你，我是多麽重視你的才能。我給你的職位和薪俸，按你的才幹衡量還是夠低的，但和莫森商行相比，那就有天壤之別了。請你告訴我，你什麽時候到莫森商行去上班？”
　　 “下星期一。”
　　 “哈，哈！我想我應當冒險打個賭，你根本不要到那裏去。”
　　 “不到莫森商行去？”
　　 “對呀，先生。到那天你要當上法國中部五金有限公司的經理，這傢公司在法國城鄉有一百三十四傢分公司，另外在布魯塞爾和聖雷莫還各有一傢分公司。”
　　 “這使我大吃一驚。”我從未聽說過這傢公司，”我說道。
　　 “你很可能沒聽說過。公司一直在無聲無息地營業，因為它的資本是嚮私人籌集的，生意興隆，根本不需要加以宣揚。我兄弟哈裏·平納是創辦人，做了總經理，並且進了董事會。他知道我在這裏交遊很廣，要我替他物色一個幹練而薪俸不高的人，一個精力充沛而又聽使喚的小夥子。帕剋談到了你，於是我今晚到這兒來訪。我們開始衹能給你極為菲薄的五百鎊。”
　　 “一年五百鎊！”我大聲喊道。
　　 “不過這衹是在開始的時候；除此以外，凡是你的代銷商完成的營業額，你都可以提取百分之一的佣金。你可以相信我的話，這筆收入會比你的薪水還要多。”
　　 “可是我一點也不懂五金啊。”
　　 “什麽話，我的朋友，你懂會計啊。”
　　 “我頭腦在嗡嗡作響，幾乎連椅子也坐不穩了。可是突然一點疑問涌上心頭。
　　 “我必須坦率地對你說，”我說道，“莫森商行衹給我一年二百鎊，可是莫森商行是可靠的。啊，說實在話，我對你們的公司確實知道得很少……”
　　 “啊，精明，精明！”他欣喜若狂地高聲喊道，”我們正需要你這樣的人。你是不會被人說服的，這也很對。瞧，這是一張一百鎊的鈔票，如果你認為我們可以成交，那你就把它作為預支薪水收起來吧。”
　　 “那太好了，”我說道，“我什麽時候就任新職呢？”
　　 “明天一點鐘在伯明翰，”他說道，“我口袋裏有一張便條，你可以拿它去見我兄弟。你可以到這傢公司的臨時辦公室科波萊森街１２６號乙去找他。當然他必須對你的任用表示認可，但在我們之間這是不成問題的。”
　　 “說實在的，我幾乎不知道如何表示感謝纔好，平納先生。”我說道。
　　 “不必客氣，我的朋友。這不過是你應得的。可是有一兩件小事，我必須和你辦清楚，這僅僅是個形式。你手邊有一張紙，請在上面寫上：我完全願意做法國中部五金有限公司的經理，年薪最少五百鎊。”
　　 “我照他所說的寫了，他把這張紙放進口袋裏。
　　 “還有一件小事，”他說道，“你對莫森商行準備怎樣應付呢？”
　　 “我高興得把莫森商行的事忘得一幹二淨。”我給他們寫信辭職好了，”我說道。
　　 “我恰恰不希望你這麽辦。為你的事，我曾和莫森商行的經理發生了口角。我去問他關於你的事，他非常無禮，責備我把你從他們商行氣走等等。我終於忍耐不住說：”如果你要用一些有才幹的人，那你就應當給他們優厚的薪俸。”他說：”他寧肯接受我們的低薪，也不會拿你們的高薪。”我說：”我和你賭五個金鎊，如果他接受我的聘請，你再也不會聽到他的回音了。”他說：”好！我們把他從平民窟裏救了出來，他不會這麽輕易離開我們的。”這就是他的原話。”
　　 “這個無禮的惡棍！”我喊道，”我們素未謀面，我為什麽非要照顧他不可呢？如果你不願意讓我寫信給他，我當然不給他寫信了。”
　　 “好！就這樣說定了，”他從椅上站起來說道，“好，我很高興替兄弟物色到這樣有才幹的人。這是你的一百鎊預支薪金，這是那封信。請記下地址，科波萊森街１２６號乙，記住約好的時間是明天下午一點鐘。晚安，祝你一切順利！”
　　 “這就是我所記得的我們兩人談話的全部情況。華生醫生，你可以想象，我交了這樣的好運，該是多麽高興。我暗自慶幸，半夜未能入睡。第二天我乘火車去伯明翰，因而有充裕的時間去赴約。我把行李放在新大街的一傢旅館，然後按介紹的地址去找。
　　 “這比我約定的時間早一刻鐘，可是我想這沒有什麽關係。１２６號乙是夾在兩傢大商店中間的一個甬道，盡頭是一道彎麯的石梯，從石梯上去有許多套房，租給一些公司或自由職業者做辦公室。墻上寫着租戶的名牌，卻沒有法國中部五金有限公司的名牌。我惶恐地站了一會兒，想知道整個事件是不是一個精心策劃的，這時上來一個人嚮我打招呼，他非常象昨晚我看見的那個人，同樣的身形和嗓音，可是他鬍子颳得很光，發色比較淺。
　　 “你是霍爾·派剋羅夫特先生嗎？”他問道。
　　 “對，”我說道。
　　 “啊！我正等着你，可是你比約定的時間來早了一點。我今天早晨接到我哥哥一封來信，他在信上對你褒奬備至。”
　　 “你來的時候我正在尋找你們的辦公室。”
　　 “因為上星期我們剛租到這幾間臨時辦公室，所以還沒有挂上我們公司的名牌。隨我來，我們把公事談一談。”
　　 “我隨他走上高樓的最上層，就在樓頂石板瓦下面，有兩間空蕩蕩、布滿塵埃的小屋子，既無窗簾、又無地毯，他把我領進去。我本來設想它象我常見的那樣，是一間寬敞的辦公室，桌明幾淨，坐着一排排的職員。可是我看到屋裏衹有兩把鬆木椅和一張小桌子，桌上衹有一本總帳，還有一個廢紙簍，這就是全部的擺設。
　　 “請不要泄氣，派剋羅夫特先生，”我的新相識看到我臉上露出不快的樣子，便說道，“羅馬也不是一天建成的，我們的資本雄厚，但不在辦公室上擺闊氣。請坐，把那封信給我。”
　　 “我把信交給他，他十分仔細地看了一遍。
　　 “看來我哥哥阿瑟對你的印象非常深刻，”他說道，“我知道他很知人善任。你知道，他深深信賴倫敦人，而我信賴伯明翰人，可是這回我接受了他的推薦，你已被正式錄用了。”
　　 “我的任務是什麽呢？”我問道。
　　 “你將來要管理巴黎的大貨棧，把英國造的陶器源源不斷地運給法國一百三十四傢代售店。一星期內就可購齊這批商品，在這段時間內你還要待在伯明翰做些有益的事。”
　　 “什麽事呢？’
　　 “他沒有回答，從抽屜裏取出一本大紅書來。
　　 “這是一本巴黎工商行名錄，”他說道，“人名後面有行業名稱。我想請你把它帶回傢去，把五金商和他們的地址都抄下來。這對我們有很大用處。”
　　 “一定照辦，不過不是有分類表了嗎？”我建議說。
　　 “那些表不可靠。他們的分類和我們的不同。加緊抄吧，請在星期一十二點把單子交給我。再見，派剋羅夫特先生。如果你繼續表現得熱情而能幹，你會看得出來公司是一個好東道主的。”
　　 “我腋下夾着那本大書回到旅館，心裏充滿了矛盾的感覺。一方面，我已被正式錄用了，而且口袋裏裝着一百鎊鈔票；另一方面，這個辦公室的樣子，公司沒有挂名牌，以及一個實業人員一目瞭然的其它諸事，使我對東傢的經濟情況印象不佳。然而，不管怎麽說，反正我拿到了錢，於是我坐下來抄錄。整個星期日我都在埋頭苦幹，可是到星期一我纔抄到字母Ｈ。我便去找我的東傢，還是在那間象被洗劫過的屋子裏找到了他。他告訴我要一直抄到星期三，然後再去找他。可是到星期三我還沒有抄完，於是又苦幹到星期五，也就是昨天。然後我把抄好的東西帶去交給哈裏·平納先生。
　　 “非常感謝你，”他說道，“我恐怕把這項任務的睏難估計過低了。這份單子對我有很大的實際用處。”
　　 “我用了不少時間，”我說道。
　　 “現在，”他說道，“我要你再抄一份傢具店的單子，這些傢具店都出售瓷器。”
　　 “很好。”
　　 “你可以在明天晚上七點鐘到這裏來，告訴我進展情況。請不要過於勞累，經過一天的勞累之後，晚上到戴斯音樂廳去欣賞兩小時音樂，這對你是有益無損的。”他說話時面帶笑容，我一看，頓時毛骨悚然，因為他左上邊第二個牙齒上胡亂鑲着金牙。”
　　 歇洛剋·福爾摩斯興奮地搓着雙手，我驚奇地望着我們的委托人。
　　 “顯然你很驚奇，華生醫生。事情是這樣的，”他說道，”我在倫敦和那個傢夥談話時，他聽我說不去莫森商行了，便笑逐顔開，我無意中發現他就是在第二個牙齒上胡亂鑲着金牙。要知道，這兩種場合我都看到了金光一閃，再加上這兩人的聲音和體形一模一樣，衹是那些可以用剃刀或假發改裝的地方纔有所不同。因此，我毫不懷疑，他們”哥兒倆”就是同一個人。當然人們會想到兩兄弟可能長得一模一樣，可他們絶不會在同一個牙上鑲上同樣形狀的金牙。他恭敬地把我送出來，我走到街上，簡直不知道如何是好。我回到旅館，在涼水盆裏洗了頭，絞盡腦汁思索這件事。他為什麽把我支使到伯明翰來呢？他為什麽比我先來呢？他又為什麽自己給自己寫一封信呢？總而言之，這些問題對我來說是太傷腦筋了，無論如何也弄不清楚。後來我突然想到在我看來是煙霧一團的事，在歇洛剋·福爾摩斯看來卻可能了如指掌。我正好趕上夜車回到城裏，今天清早就來拜訪福爾摩斯先生，並請你們二位與我一起回伯明翰去。”
　　 這位證券經紀人的書記員把他奇異的經歷講完以後，我們都默不作聲。後來歇洛剋·福爾摩斯睨視了我一眼，嚮後仰靠在座墊上，臉上露出一種滿意而又想評論的表情，好象一位品嚐傢剛剛啜入第一口美酒似的。
　　 “相當不錯，對不對？華生，”他說道，“這裏面有許多地方使我很感興趣。我想你一定同意我的意見，我們到法國中部五金有限公司的臨時辦公室去拜訪一下阿瑟·平納先生，對你我二人來說，一定是一次相當有趣的經歷。”
　　 “可是我們怎樣才能拜訪他呢？”我問道。
　　 “啊，這很容易，”霍爾·派剋羅夫特高興地說道，“我就說你們是我的朋友，想找個差使幹，這樣我帶你們兩個人去找總經理不是更自然一些嗎？”
　　 “當然，完全如此，”福爾摩斯說道，“我很願見一見這位紳士，看看我是否能從他那小小的把戲中找出個頭緒來。我的朋友，你到底有什麽本領使你的效勞如此難能可貴？也許能夠……”他說到這裏，開始嚙咬他的指甲，茫然若失地凝望着窗外，直到我們到達新大街，再沒有聽他講一句話。
　　 這天晚上七點鐘，我們三個人漫步來到科波萊森街這傢公司的辦公室。
　　 “我們早來一點也沒有用，”我們的委托人說道，“顯而易見的是，他衹是到這裏來會我，因為除了他指定的那個時間以外，這個房間是空無一人的。”
　　 “這倒是引人深思的，”福爾摩斯說。
　　 “啊，聽我說！”這位書記叫喊道，”在我們前面走的就是他啊。”
　　 他指嚮一個矮小身材、黑黑的、衣服整潔的人，這個人正在街那邊慌忙奔走着。我們見到他時，他看到街對過一個叫賣晚報的小孩，就在馬車和公共汽車之間穿街而過，嚮那個孩子買了一份晚報，然後，拿在手中，走進門去。
　　 “他到那裏去了！”霍爾·派剋羅夫特喊道，”他進去的就是那傢公司的辦公室。隨我來，我盡可能把事情安排得容易些。”
　　 我們跟在他後面爬上五層樓，來到一間門半開半掩的房間前，我們的委托人輕輕敲了敲門，裏面有一個聲音叫我們進去。我們走進一個空蕩蕩的沒有擺設的屋子，正象霍爾·派剋羅夫特介紹過的一樣。我們在街上見到的那個人正坐在僅有的一張桌子旁邊，面前放着那張晚報。在他擡頭看我們時，我好象覺得，我還從來沒見過一張面孔其表情是那樣的悲痛，豈止是悲痛，簡直是象在生死關頭那種極端恐怖的樣子。他的額角上冒着汗珠，面頰象魚肚子一樣的死白，雙眼瞪得大大的，死死地盯着他的書記員，好象不認識他一樣，我從我們嚮導臉上驚異的表情可以看出，這决不是他東傢平時的表情。
　　 “你臉色不好！平納先生，”霍爾說道。
　　 “是的，我不太舒服，”平納答道，顯然竭力恢復鎮靜，在說話前舐了舐乾燥的雙唇，“你帶來的這兩位紳士是什麽人？”
　　 “一位是伯蒙奇的哈裏斯先生，另一位是本鎮的普賴斯先生，”我們的委托人隨機應變地說道，“他們是我的朋友，並且是兩位經驗豐富的先生，不過近來他們失業了，他們希望或許你可以在公司裏給他們找個出路。”
　　 “太可能了！太可能了！”平納先生勉強笑了笑，大聲說道，”對了，我肯定我們能為你們盡力的。哈裏斯先生，你的專長是什麽呢？”
　　 “我是一個會計師，”福爾摩斯說道。
　　 “啊，好，我們正需要這樣的人材。起賴斯先生，那麽你呢？”
　　 “我是一個書記員。”我說道。
　　 “我希望公司可以接納你們，我們一作出决定，我馬上就通知你們。現在請你們走吧，看上帝面上，讓我安靜安靜！”
　　 最後幾句他喊叫得聲音很大，好象他再也控製不了自己了。福爾摩斯和我面面相覷，霍爾·派剋羅夫特嚮桌前走近一步。
　　 “平納先生，你忘了，我是應約來這裏聽取你的指示的，”他說道。
　　 “當然了，派剋羅夫特先生，當然了，”對方恢復了比較冷靜的腔調說道，“你可以在這裏稍等片刻，你的朋友也可以等一等，如果不會使你們不耐煩的話，過三分鐘我一定完全聽從你們的吩咐，”他彬彬有禮地站起來，嚮我們點了點頭，從屋子那一頭的門走了出去，隨即把門關上了。
　　 “現在怎麽辦？”福爾摩斯低語道，”他是不是逃走了？”
　　 “不可能。”派剋羅夫特答道。
　　 “為什麽不可能呢？”
　　 “那扇門通往套間。”
　　 “沒有出口嗎？”
　　 “沒有。”
　　 “裏面有傢具嗎？”
　　 “昨天還是空的。”
　　 “那麽他究竟在裏面能幹什麽呢？這件事真有些叫我摸不着頭腦，這個叫平納的人是不是嚇瘋了？什麽事能把他嚇得渾身顫抖呢？”
　　 “他一定懷疑我們是偵探，”我提醒說。
　　 “一定是這樣，”派剋羅夫特大聲說道。
　　 福爾摩斯搖了搖頭。”他不是見了我們纔嚇壞的，我們進這房間時他已經臉色蒼白了，”福爾摩斯說道，“衹可能是……”從套間門那邊傳來了一陣響亮的打門聲音，打斷了福爾摩斯的話。
　　 “他幹什麽自己在裏面敲門？”書記員喊道。
　　 打門聲又響起來，而且更加響亮。我們都懷着期待心情盯着那扇關着的門。我望了福爾摩斯一眼，見他面容嚴峻，激動異常地俯身嚮前。接着突然傳來一陣低低的喉頭咕嚕聲，一陣咚咚的敲打木器的聲音。福爾摩斯發狂似地衝嚮前去，猛推那扇門。可是門已從裏面閂上了。我們也仿效他的樣子用盡渾身之力撞門。一個門合葉突然斷了，接着另一個也斷了。門砰地一聲倒下去。我們從門上衝過去，進入套間，裏面卻空無一人。
　　 我們一時感到不知所措，可是不大功夫就發現靠近我們進來的屋角還有一個小門。福爾摩斯奔過去把門推開，見地板上扔着一件外衣和背心，門後的一個挂鈎上，法國中部五金有限公司的總經理用自己褲子的背帶繞在脖子上自縊了。他的雙膝彎麯，頭挂得和他的身體成了一個可怕的角度，他的兩個腳後跟咚咚地敲打着木門，原來就是這個聲音打斷了我們的談話。我一下子抱住他的腰，把他舉起，福爾摩斯和派剋羅夫特把有彈性的褲子背帶解下來，那根背帶早已勒進了他發青的皮膚中。我們把他弄到外屋。他躺在那裏，面如土色，發紫的嘴唇隨着微微的喘息而顫動着，一副驚人的慘狀，完全不是五分鐘以前的樣子了。
　　 “你看他還有救嗎，華生？”福爾摩斯問道。
　　 我俯來，對這人進行檢查。他的脈搏微弱而有間歇，可是呼吸卻越來越長，他的眼瞼微微顫動，眼瞼下露出白白的眼球。
　　 “他本來很危險，”我說道，“可是現在已經救活了。請打開窗戶，把冷水瓶給我，”我解開他的衣領，在他臉上倒了一些冷水，給他做人工呼吸，直到他自然地長長呼了一口氣。
　　 “現在衹是時間問題了，”我從他身旁走開，說道。
　　 福爾摩斯站在桌旁，雙手插在褲袋裏，低着頭。
　　 “我想我們現在應當把找來了，”他說道，“等他們來後，我們就把全案交給他們。”
　　 “見鬼，我還是一點也不明白，”派剋羅夫特搔着頭，叫喊道，”不管他們特地把我引到這裏來幹什麽，可……”
　　 “哼！這一切都很清楚！”福爾摩斯不耐煩地說道，“就是為了這最後的突然行動。”
　　 “那麽，你對其餘的事都清楚了嗎？”
　　 “我想這是極為明顯的，華生，你的意見怎樣？”
　　 我聳了聳雙肩。”我必須承認我對此莫名片妙。”我說道。
　　 “啊，如果你們先把這些事情仔細想一想，就能得出一個結論。”
　　 “那你到底得出什麽結論呢？”
　　 “好，全案的關鍵有兩點。第一點是他讓派剋羅夫特寫了一份到這傢荒誕的公司服務的聲明，你還不明白這是多麽發人深思嗎？”
　　 “恐怕我沒有到這一點。”
　　 “那麽，他們為什麽要他寫這份聲明呢？這不符常情，因為象這類安排通常都是口頭約定的，這一次並沒有什麽理由一定要打破慣例。我年輕的朋友，你沒有看出他們非常渴望弄到你的筆跡，而又沒有別的辦法弄到嗎？”
　　 “為什麽要我的筆跡呢？”
　　 “很好，為什麽呢？回答了這個問題，我們的案子就有很大進展了。為什麽呢？衹能有一個適當的理由，就是有人要模仿你的筆跡，不得不花錢買你的筆跡樣本。現在我們再看看第二點，就發現這兩點可以相互說明了。這第二點就是平納要你不要辭職，一定要讓那傢業的經理抱着希望，認為有一位他從未見過面的霍爾·派剋羅夫特先生星期一早晨就要去上班了。”
　　 “我的天哪！”我們的委托人喊道，”我是多麽瞎啊！”
　　 “現在看看他為什麽要弄到你的筆跡吧。假設有人冒名頂替你去上班，可是字跡和你遞交的申請書上的並不相同，當然這出把戲就要露出馬腳。可是如果在這幾天內那個無賴學會模仿你的筆跡，那他就萬無一失了，因為我相信這傢公司沒有人見過你。”
　　 “一個人也沒有見過我，”霍爾·派剋羅夫特唉聲嘆氣地說道。
　　 “太好了。當然，這件事最重要的一點就是設法不讓你改變主意，並且不讓你和任何知情人接觸，以免有人告訴你那個冒名頂替餑人已經在莫森商行上班了。所以他們預支給他一筆高薪，把你支到中部地區，在那裏他們給你許多工作幹，使你無暇返回倫敦，不然你就會把他們的小把戲拆穿了。這一切是非常清楚的。”
　　 “可是為什麽這個人要假裝他自己的哥哥呢？”
　　 “啊，這也是非常明顯的。顯然他們衹有兩個人。另一個人既已冒用你的名字進了莫森商行，他們又不願有第三者參與陰謀，又要有人當你的東傢，所以他就盡量喬裝打扮冒充兩兄弟，相信你即使發現他們模樣相似，也會認作是哥兒倆長得一樣。要不是你幸而無意中發現了他的金牙，那你就不會起疑心了。”
　　 霍爾·派剋羅夫特雙手握拳在空中揮舞。”天啊！”他叫喊道，”在我受人愚弄的時候，那個假霍爾·派剋羅夫特在莫森商行裏做了些什麽呢？我們該怎麽辦？福爾摩斯先生。請指教我怎麽辦？”
　　 “我們必須給莫森商行發一份電報。”
　　 “他們每星期六十二點關門。”
　　 “不要緊。會有一些看門人或警衛……”
　　 “啊，對了，因為他們保存着很多貴重的證券，他們有一支常備警衛隊。我記得在城裏聽人講過這件事。”
　　 “太好了，我們給他發一個電報，看看是否一切正常，是否有一個冒用你名字的書記員在那裏辦公。這是很清楚的，可是，我還不太明白的是，為什麽一看到我們，其中的一個賴卻立即跑出去自縊了？”
　　 “報紙！”我們身後傳來了一陣嘶啞的聲音。這個人已坐起身來，面色和死人一樣蒼白，雙眼已經復原，用手撫摸着咽喉四周的寬寬的紅色勒痕。
　　 “報紙！當然了！”福爾摩斯突然激動地叫喊道，”我真是一個白癡！我把我們來訪的事想得太多了，一點兒也沒有想到報紙。肯定說，秘密就在報紙上。”他把報紙在桌上攤開，欣喜欲狂地叫喊起來。”請看這一條，華生。”他大聲說道，”這是倫敦的報紙，早版的《旗幟晚報》。我們需要的在這裏，請看大字標題：‘城裏搶動案。莫森和威廉斯商行發生兇殺案。有預謀的大搶劫。罪犯落網。”華生，這不都是我們想知道的嗎？請大聲讀給我們聽聽。”
　　 這項報道在報紙上占的位置，就說明了這是城裏的一件重要案件，內容記載如下：
　　 ”今日下午在倫敦發生一起兇險的搶劫案，一人致死，兇犯已落網。不久前，莫森和威廉斯這傢著名的證券行存有百萬鎊以上的巨額證券，設立了警衛人員。經理意識到他肩頭責任的重大，便置辦了一些最新式的保險櫃，並在樓上設了一名武裝警衛日夜看守。上周公司招收一名新職員霍爾·派剋羅夫特。原來此人不是別人，乃是惡名遠揚的偽幣製造犯及大盜貝丁頓。該犯與其弟剛剛服滿五年苦役獲釋。現尚未查明彼等用何種方法采用假名竟獲得這傢公司的任用，以便藉此獵取各種鎖鑰的模式，徹底瞭解保險庫和保險櫃的設置情況。
　　 照莫林商行慣例，星期六中午職員放假。因此，在下午一點二十分，蘇格蘭場的警官圖森看到一個人拿着一個毛氈製的手提包走出來時，感到非常驚奇。這個人引其他的懷疑，他便尾隨而行，罪犯雖然拚命抵抗，但圖森在波洛剋的協助下，終於將其捕獲。當即查明發生了一起膽大包天的大搶劫案。從手提包中搜出價值近十萬英鎊的美國鐵路公債券，此外尚有礦業和其他公司的巨額股票。在檢查房屋時，發現那不幸的警衛的屍體被彎麯着塞進一個大衣櫃裏，若不是警官圖森采取了果斷行動，屍體在星期一早晨之前尚不會被人發現。該警衛的顱骨被人從身後用火鉗砸碎。毫無疑問，一定是貝丁頓假托遺忘了什麽東西，進入樓內，殺死了警衛，迅速把大保險櫃內的東西劫掠一空，然後攜帶贓物逃跑。他的弟弟經常與他一起作案，此次經過查證，卻似未曾參與，然警方仍在盡力查訪其下落雲雲。”
　　 “好了，我們可以使警廳在這方面省去好多麻煩，”福爾摩斯望了那蜷縮在窗旁的形容枯槁的人一眼，說道，“人類的天性是一種奇怪的混合物，華生，你看，即使是惡棍和殺人犯也能有這樣的感情：弟弟一聽說哥哥要丟腦袋便自尋短見。不過，我們必須采取行動了。醫生和我留下看守，派剋羅夫特先生，勞駕你去把找來。”

　　Shortly after my marriage I had bought a connection in the Paddington district. Old Mr. Farquhar, from whom I purchased it, had at one time an excellent general practice; but his age, and an affliction of the nature of St. Vitus's dance from which he suffered, had very much thinned it. The public not unnaturally goes on the principle that he who would heal others must himself be whole, and looks askance at the curative powers of the man whose own case is beyond the reach of his drugs. Thus as my predecessor weakened his practice declined, until when I purchased it from him it had sunk from twelve hundred to little more than three hundred a year. I had confidence, however, in my own youth and energy, and was convinced that in a very few years the concern would be as flourishing as ever.
　　
　　For three months after taking over the practice I was kept very closely at work, and saw little of my friend Sherlock Holmes, for I was too busy to visit Baker Street, and he seldom went anywhere himself save upon professional business. I was surprised, therefore, when, one morning in June, as I sat reading the British Medical Journal after breakfast, I heard a ring at the bell, followed by the high, somewhat strident tones of my old companion's voice.
　　
　　"Ah, my dear Watson," said he, striding into the room, "I am very delighted to see you! I trust that Mrs. Watson has entirely recovered from all the little excitements connected with our adventure of the Sign of Four."
　　
　　"Thank you, we are both very well," said I, shaking him warmly by the hand.
　　
　　"And I hope, also," he continued, sitting down in the rocking-chair, "that the cares of medical practice have not entirely obliterated the interest which you used to take in our little deductive problems."
　　
　　"On the contrary," I answered, "it was only last night that I was looking over my old notes, and classifying some of our past results."
　　
　　"I trust that you don't consider your collection closed."
　　
　　"Not at all. I should wish nothing better than to have some more of such experiences."
　　
　　"To-day, for example?"
　　
　　"Yes, to-day, if you like."
　　
　　"And as far off as Birmingham?"
　　
　　"Certainly, if you wish it."
　　
　　"And the practice?"
　　
　　"I do my neighbor's when he goes. He is always ready to work off the debt."
　　
　　"Ha! Nothing could be better," said Holmes, leaning back in his chair and looking keenly at me from under his half closed lids. "I perceive that you have been unwell lately. Summer colds are always a little trying."
　　
　　"I was confined to the house by a severe chill for three days last week. I thought, however, that I had cast off every trace of it."
　　
　　"So you have. You look remarkably robust."
　　
　　"How, then, did you know of it?"
　　
　　"My dear fellow, you know my methods."
　　
　　"You deduced it, then?"
　　
　　"Certainly."
　　
　　"And from what?"
　　
　　"From your slippers."
　　
　　I glanced down at the new patent leathers which I was wearing. "How on earth--" I began, but Holmes answered my question before it was asked.
　　
　　"Your slippers are new," he said. "You could not have had them more than a few weeks. The soles which you are at this moment presenting to me are slightly scorched. For a moment I thought they might have got wet and been burned in the drying. But near the instep there is a small circular wafer of paper with the shopman's hieroglyphics upon it. Damp would of course have removed this. You had, then, been sitting with your feet outstretched to the fire, which a man would hardly do even in so wet a June as this if he were in his full health."
　　
　　Like all Holmes's reasoning the thing seemed simplicity itself when it was once explained. He read the thought upon my features, and his smile had a tinge of bitterness.
　　
　　"I am afraid that I rather give myself away when I explain," said he. "Results without causes are much more impressive. You are ready to come to Birmingham, then?"
　　
　　"Certainly. What is the case?"
　　
　　"You shall hear it all in the train. My client is outside in a four-wheeler. Can you come at once?"
　　
　　"In an instant." I scribbled a note to my neighbor, rushed upstairs to explain the matter to my wife, and joined Holmes upon the door-step.
　　
　　"Your neighbor is a doctor," said he, nodding at the brass plate.
　　
　　"Yes; he bought a practice as I did."
　　
　　"An old-established one?"
　　
　　"Just the same as mine. Both have been ever since the houses were built."
　　
　　"Ah! Then you got hold of the best of the two."
　　
　　"I think I did. But how do you know?"
　　
　　"By the steps, my boy. Yours are worn three inches deeper than his. But this gentleman in the cab is my client, Mr. Hall Pycroft. Allow me to introduce you to him. Whip your horse up, cabby, for we have only just time to catch our train."
　　
　　The man whom I found myself facing was a well built, fresh-complexioned young fellow, with a frank, honest face and a slight, crisp, yellow mustache. He wore a very shiny top hat and a neat suit of sober black, which made him look what he was--a smart young City man, of the class who have been labeled cockneys, but who give us our crack volunteer regiments, and who turn out more fine athletes and sportsmen than any body of men in these islands. His round, ruddy face was naturally full of cheeriness, but the corners of his mouth seemed to me to be pulled down in a half-comical distress. It was not, however, until we were all in a first-class carriage and well started upon our journey to Birmingham that I was able to learn what the trouble was which had driven him to Sherlock Holmes.
　　
　　"We have a clear run here of seventy minutes," Holmes remarked. "I want you, Mr. Hall Pycroft, to tell my friend your very interesting experience exactly as you have told it to me, or with more detail if possible. It will be of use to me to hear the succession of events again. It is a case, Watson, which may prove to have something in it, or may prove to have nothing, but which, at least, presents those unusual and outré features which are as dear to you as they are to me. Now, Mr. Pycroft, I shall not interrupt you again."
　　
　　Our young companion looked at me with a twinkle in his eye.
　　
　　"The worst of the story is," said he, "that I show myself up as such a confounded fool. Of course it may work out all right, and I don't see that I could have done otherwise; but if I have lost my crib and get nothing in exchange I shall feel what a soft Johnnie I have been. I'm not very good at telling a story, Dr. Watson, but it is like this with me:
　　
　　"I used to have a billet at Coxon & Woodhouse's, of Draper's Gardens, but they were let in early in the spring through the Venezuelan loan, as no doubt you remember, and came a nasty cropper. I had been with them five years, and old Coxon gave me a ripping good testimonial when the smash came, but of course we clerks were all turned adrift, the twenty-seven of us. I tried here and tried there, but there were lots of other chaps on the same lay as myself, and it was a perfect frost for a long time. I had been taking three pounds a week at Coxon's, and I had saved about seventy of them, but I soon worked my way through that and out at the other end. I was fairly at the end of my tether at last, and could hardly find the stamps to answer the advertisements or the envelopes to stick them to. I had worn out my boots paddling up office stairs, and I seemed just as far from getting a billet as ever.
　　
　　"At last I saw a vacancy at Mawson & Williams's, the great stock-broking firm in Lombard Street. I dare say E. C. Is not much in your line, but I can tell you that this is about the richest house in London. The advertisement was to be answered by letter only. I sent in my testimonial and application, but without the least hope of getting it. Back came an answer by return, saying that if I would appear next Monday I might take over my new duties at once, provided that my appearance was satisfactory. No one knows how these things are worked. Some people say that the manager just plunges his hand into the heap and takes the first that comes. Anyhow it was my innings that time, and I don't ever wish to feel better pleased. The screw was a pound a week rise, and the duties just about the same as at Coxon's.
　　
　　"And now I come to the queer part of the business. I was in diggings out Hampstead way, 17 Potter's Terrace. Well, I was sitting doing a smoke that very evening after I had been promised the appointment, when up came my landlady with a card which had 'Arthur Pinner, Financial Agent,' printed upon it. I had never heard the name before and could not imagine what he wanted with me; but, of course, I asked her to show him up. In he walked, a middle-sized, dark-haired, dark-eyed, black-bearded man, with a touch of the Sheeny about his nose. He had a brisk kind of way with him and spoke sharply, like a man who knew the value of time."
　　
　　"'Mr. Hall Pycroft, I believe?'" said he.
　　
　　"'Yes, sir,' I answered, pushing a chair towards him.
　　
　　"'Lately engaged at Coxon & Woodhouse's?'
　　
　　"'Yes, sir.'
　　
　　"'And now on the staff of Mawson's.'
　　
　　"'Quite so.'
　　
　　"'Well,' said he, 'the fact is that I have heard some really extraordinary stories about your financial ability. You remember Parker, who used to be Coxon's manager? He can never say enough about it.'
　　
　　"Of course I was pleased to hear this. I had always been pretty sharp in the office, but I had never dreamed that I was talked about in the City in this fashion.
　　
　　"'You have a good memory?' said he.
　　
　　"'Pretty fair,' I answered, modestly.
　　
　　"'Have you kept in touch with the market while you have been out of work?' he asked.
　　
　　"'Yes. I read the stock exchange list every morning.'
　　
　　"'Now that shows real application!' he cried. 'That is the way to prosper! You won't mind my testing you, will you? Let me see. How are Ayrshires?'
　　
　　"'A hundred and six and a quarter to a hundred and five and seven-eighths.'
　　
　　"'And New Zealand consolidated?'
　　
　　"'A hundred and four.
　　
　　"'And British Broken Hills?'
　　
　　"'Seven to seven-and-six.'
　　
　　"'Wonderful!' he cried, with his hands up. 'This quite fits in with all that I had heard. My boy, my boy, you are very much too good to be a clerk at Mawson's!'
　　
　　"This outburst rather astonished me, as you can think. 'Well,' said I, 'other people don't think quite so much of me as you seem to do, Mr. Pinner. I had a hard enough fight to get this berth, and I am very glad to have it.'
　　
　　"'Pooh, man; you should soar above it. You are not in your true sphere. Now, I'll tell you how it stands with me. What I have to offer is little enough when measured by your ability, but when compared with Mawson's, it's light to dark. Let me see. When do you go to Mawson's?'
　　
　　"'On Monday.'
　　
　　"'Ha, ha! I think I would risk a little sporting flutter that you don't go there at all.'
　　
　　"'Not go to Mawson's?'
　　
　　"'No, sir. By that day you will be the business manager of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, with a hundred and thirty-four branches in the towns and villages of France, not counting one in Brussels and one in San Remo.'
　　
　　"This took my breath away. 'I never heard of it,' said I.
　　
　　"'Very likely not. It has been kept very quiet, for the capital was all privately subscribed, and it's too good a thing to let the public into. My brother, Harry Pinner, is promoter, and joins the board after allotment as managing director. He knew I was in the swim down here, and asked me to pick up a good man cheap. A young, pushing man with plenty of snap about him. Parker spoke of you, and that brought me here to-night. We can only offer you a beggarly five hundred to start with.'
　　
　　"'Five hundred a year!' I shouted.
　　
　　"'Only that at the beginning; but you are to have an overriding commission of one per cent on all business done by your agents, and you may take my word for it that this will come to more than your salary.'
　　
　　"'But I know nothing about hardware.'
　　
　　"'Tut, my boy; you know about figures.'
　　
　　"My head buzzed, and I could hardly sit still in my chair. But suddenly a little chill of doubt came upon me.
　　
　　"'I must be frank with you,' said I. 'Mawson only gives me two hundred, but Mawson is safe. Now, really, I know so little about your company that--'
　　
　　"'Ah, smart, smart!' he cried, in a kind of ecstasy of delight. 'You are the very man for us. You are not to be talked over, and quite right, too. Now, here's a note for a hundred pounds, and if you think that we can do business you may just slip it into your pocket as an advance upon your salary.'
　　
　　"'That is very handsome,' said I. 'When should I take over my new duties?'
　　
　　"'Be in Birmingham to-morrow at one,' said he. 'I have a note in my pocket here which you will take to my brother. You will find him at 126b Corporation Street, where the temporary offices of the company are situated. Of course he must confirm your engagement, but between ourselves it will be all right.'
　　
　　"'Really, I hardly know how to express my gratitude, Mr. Pinner,' said I.
　　
　　"'Not at all, my boy. You have only got your deserts. There are one or two small things--mere formalities--which I must arrange with you. You have a bit of paper beside you there. Kindly write upon it "I am perfectly willing to act as business manager to the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, at a minimum salary of L500."'
　　
　　"I did as he asked, and he put the paper in his pocket.
　　
　　"'There is one other detail,' said he. 'What do you intend to do about Mawson's?'
　　
　　"I had forgotten all about Mawson's in my joy. 'I'll write and resign,' said I.
　　
　　"'Precisely what I don't want you to do. I had a row over you with Mawson's manager. I had gone up to ask him about you, and he was very offensive; accused me of coaxing you away from the service of the firm, and that sort of thing. At last I fairly lost my temper. "If you want good men you should pay them a good price," said I.'
　　
　　"'He would rather have our small price than your big one,' said he.
　　
　　"'I'll lay you a fiver,' said I, 'that when he has my offer you'll never so much as hear from him again.'
　　
　　"'Done!' said he. 'We picked him out of the gutter, and he won't leave us so easily.' Those were his very words."
　　
　　"'The impudent scoundrel!' I cried. 'I've never so much as seen him in my life. Why should I consider him in any way? I shall certainly not write if you would rather I didn't.'
　　
　　"'Good! That's a promise,' said he, rising from his chair. 'Well, I'm delighted to have got so good a man for my brother. Here's your advance of a hundred pounds, and here is the letter. Make a note of the address, 126b Corporation Street, and remember that one o'clock to-morrow is your appointment. Good-night; and may you have all the fortune that you deserve!'
　　
　　"That's just about all that passed between us, as near as I can remember. You can imagine, Dr. Watson, how pleased I was at such an extraordinary bit of good fortune. I sat up half the night hugging myself over it, and next day I was off to Birmingham in a train that would take me in plenty time for my appointment. I took my things to a hotel in New Street, and then I made my way to the address which had been given me.
　　
　　"It was a quarter of an hour before my time, but I thought that would make no difference. 126b was a passage between two large shops, which led to a winding stone stair, from which there were many flats, let as offices to companies or professional men. The names of the occupants were painted at the bottom on the wall, but there was no such name as the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited. I stood for a few minutes with my heart in my boots, wondering whether the whole thing was an elaborate hoax or not, when up came a man and addressed me. He was very like the chap I had seen the night before, the same figure and voice, but he was clean shaven and his hair was lighter.
　　
　　"'Are you Mr. Hall Pycroft?' he asked.
　　
　　"'Yes,' said I.
　　
　　"'Oh! I was expecting you, but you are a trifle before your time. I had a note from my brother this morning in which he sang your praises very loudly.'
　　
　　"'I was just looking for the offices when you came.
　　
　　"'We have not got our name up yet, for we only secured these temporary premises last week. Come up with me, and we will talk the matter over.'
　　
　　"I followed him to the top of a very lofty stair, and there, right under the slates, were a couple of empty, dusty little rooms, uncarpeted and uncurtained, into which he led me. I had thought of a great office with shining tables and rows of clerks, such as I was used to, and I dare say I stared rather straight at the two deal chairs and one little table, which, with a ledger and a waste paper basket, made up the whole furniture.
　　
　　"'Don't be disheartened, Mr. Pycroft,' said my new acquaintance, seeing the length of my face. 'Rome was not built in a day, and we have lots of money at our backs, though we don't cut much dash yet in offices. Pray sit down, and let me have your letter.'
　　
　　"I gave it to him, and he read it over very carefully.
　　
　　"'You seem to have made a vast impression upon my brother Arthur,' said he; 'and I know that he is a pretty shrewd judge. He swears by London, you know; and I by Birmingham; but this time I shall follow his advice. Pray consider yourself definitely engaged."
　　
　　"'What are my duties?' I asked.
　　
　　"'You will eventually manage the great depot in Paris, which will pour a flood of English crockery into the shops of a hundred and thirty-four agents in France. The purchase will be completed in a week, and meanwhile you will remain in Birmingham and make yourself useful.'
　　
　　"'How?'
　　
　　"For answer, he took a big red book out of a drawer.
　　
　　"'This is a directory of Paris,' said he, 'with the trades after the names of the people. I want you to take it home with you, and to mark off all the hardware sellers, with their addresses. It would be of the greatest use to me to have them.'
　　
　　"'Surely there are classified lists?' I suggested.
　　
　　"'Not reliable ones. Their system is different from ours. Stick at it, and let me have the lists by Monday, at twelve. Good-day, Mr. Pycroft. If you continue to show zeal and intelligence you will find the company a good master.'
　　
　　"I went back to the hotel with the big book under my arm, and with very conflicting feelings in my breast. On the one hand, I was definitely engaged and had a hundred pounds in my pocket; on the other, the look of the offices, the absence of name on the wall, and other of the points which would strike a business man had left a bad impression as to the position of my employers. However, come what might, I had my money, so I settled down to my task. All Sunday I was kept hard at work, and yet by Monday I had only got as far as H. I went round to my employer, found him in the same dismantled kind of room, and was told to keep at it until Wednesday, and then come again. On Wednesday it was still unfinished, so I hammered away until Friday--that is, yesterday. Then I brought it round to Mr. Harry Pinner.
　　
　　"'Thank you very much,' said he; 'I fear that I underrated the difficulty of the task. This list will be of very material assistance to me.'
　　
　　"'It took some time,' said I.
　　
　　"'And now,' said he, 'I want you to make a list of the furniture shops, for they all sell crockery.'
　　
　　"'Very good.'
　　
　　"'And you can come up to-morrow evening, at seven, and let me know how you are getting on. Don't overwork yourself. A couple of hours at Day's Music Hall in the evening would do you no harm after your labors.' He laughed as he spoke, and I saw with a thrill that his second tooth upon the left-hand side had been very badly stuffed with gold."
　　
　　Sherlock Holmes rubbed his hands with delight, and I stared with astonishment at our client.
　　
　　"You may well look surprised, Dr. Watson; but it is this way," said he: "When I was speaking to the other chap in London, at the time that he laughed at my not going to Mawson's, I happened to notice that his tooth was stuffed in this very identical fashion. The glint of the gold in each case caught my eye, you see. When I put that with the voice and figure being the same, and only those things altered which might be changed by a razor or a wig, I could not doubt that it was the same man. Of course you expect two brothers to be alike, but not that they should have the same tooth stuffed in the same way. He bowed me out, and I found myself in the street, hardly knowing whether I was on my head or my heels. Back I went to my hotel, put my head in a basin of cold water, and tried to think it out. Why had he sent me from London to Birmingham? Why had he got there before me? And why had he written a letter from himself to himself? It was altogether too much for me, and I could make no sense of it. And then suddenly it struck me that what was dark to me might be very light to Mr. Sherlock Holmes. I had just time to get up to town by the night train to see him this morning, and to bring you both back with me to Birmingham."
　　
　　There was a pause after the stock-broker's clerk had concluded his surprising experience. Then Sherlock Holmes cocked his eye at me, leaning back on the cushions with a pleased and yet critical face, like a connoisseur who has just taken his first sip of a comet vintage.
　　
　　"Rather fine, Watson, is it not?" said he. "There are points in it which please me. I think that you will agree with me that an interview with Mr. Arthur Harry Pinner in the temporary offices of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company, Limited, would be a rather interesting experience for both of us."
　　
　　"But how can we do it?" I asked.
　　
　　"Oh, easily enough," said Hall Pycroft, cheerily. "You are two friends of mine who are in want of a billet, and what could be more natural than that I should bring you both round to the managing director?"
　　
　　"Quite so, of course," said Holmes. "I should like to have a look at the gentleman, and see if I can make anything of his little game. What qualities have you, my friend, which would make your services so valuable? or is it possible that--" He began biting his nails and staring blankly out of the window, and we hardly drew another word from him until we were in New Street.
　　
　　At seven o'clock that evening we were walking, the three of us, down Corporation Street to the company's offices.
　　
　　"It is no use our being at all before our time," said our client. "He only comes there to see me, apparently, for the place is deserted up to the very hour he names."
　　
　　"That is suggestive," remarked Holmes.
　　
　　"By Jove, I told you so!" cried the clerk. "That's he walking ahead of us there."
　　
　　He pointed to a smallish, dark, well-dressed man who was bustling along the other side of the road. As we watched him he looked across at a boy who was bawling out the latest edition of the evening paper, and running over among the cabs and busses, he bought one from him. Then, clutching it in his hand, he vanished through a door-way.
　　
　　"There he goes!" cried Hall Pycroft. "These are the company's offices into which he has gone. Come with me, and I'll fix it up as easily as possible."
　　
　　Following his lead, we ascended five stories, until we found ourselves outside a half-opened door, at which our client tapped. A voice within bade us enter, and we entered a bare, unfurnished room such as Hall Pycroft had described. At the single table sat the man whom we had seen in the street, with his evening paper spread out in front of him, and as he looked up at us it seemed to me that I had never looked upon a face which bore such marks of grief, and of something beyond grief--of a horror such as comes to few men in a lifetime. His brow glistened with perspiration, his cheeks were of the dull, dead white of a fish's belly, and his eyes were wild and staring. He looked at his clerk as though he failed to recognize him, and I could see by the astonishment depicted upon our conductor's face that this was by no means the usual appearance of his employer.
　　
　　"You look ill, Mr. Pinner!" he exclaimed.
　　
　　"Yes, I am not very well," answered the other, making obvious efforts to pull himself together, and licking his dry lips before he spoke. "Who are these gentlemen whom you have brought with you?"
　　
　　"One is Mr. Harris, of Bermondsey, and the other is Mr. Price, of this town," said our clerk, glibly. "They are friends of mine and gentlemen of experience, but they have been out of a place for some little time, and they hoped that perhaps you might find an opening for them in the company's employment."
　　
　　"Very possibly! Very possibly!" cried Mr. Pinner with a ghastly smile. "Yes, I have no doubt that we shall be able to do something for you. What is your particular line, Mr. Harris?"
　　
　　"I am an accountant," said Holmes.
　　
　　"Ah yes, we shall want something of the sort. And you, Mr. Price?"
　　
　　"A clerk," said I.
　　
　　"I have every hope that the company may accommodate you. I will let you know about it as soon as we come to any conclusion. And now I beg that you will go. For God's sake leave me to myself!"
　　
　　These last words were shot out of him, as though the constraint which he was evidently setting upon himself had suddenly and utterly burst asunder. Holmes and I glanced at each other, and Hall Pycroft took a step towards the table.
　　
　　"You forget, Mr. Pinner, that I am here by appointment to receive some directions from you," said he.
　　
　　"Certainly, Mr. Pycroft, certainly," the other resumed in a calmer tone. "You may wait here a moment; and there is no reason why your friends should not wait with you. I will be entirely at your service in three minutes, if I might trespass upon your patience so far." He rose with a very courteous air, and, bowing to us, he passed out through a door at the farther end of the room, which he closed behind him.
　　
　　"What now?" whispered Holmes. "Is he giving us the slip?"
　　
　　"Impossible," answered Pycroft.
　　
　　"Why so?"
　　
　　"That door leads into an inner room."
　　
　　"There is no exit?"
　　
　　"None."
　　
　　"Is it furnished?"
　　
　　"It was empty yesterday."
　　
　　"Then what on earth can he be doing? There is something which I don't understand in this manner. If ever a man was three parts mad with terror, that man's name is Pinner. What can have put the shivers on him?"
　　
　　"He suspects that we are detectives," I suggested.
　　
　　"That's it," cried Pycroft.
　　
　　Holmes shook his head. "He did not turn pale. He was pale when we entered the room," said he. "It is just possible that--"
　　
　　His words were interrupted by a sharp rat-tat from the direction of the inner door.
　　
　　"What the deuce is he knocking at his own door for?" cried the clerk.
　　
　　Again and much louder came the rat-tat-tat. We all gazed expectantly at the closed door. Glancing at Holmes, I saw his face turn rigid, and he leaned forward in intense excitement. Then suddenly came a low guggling, gargling sound, and a brisk drumming upon woodwork. Holmes sprang frantically across the room and pushed at the door. It was fastened on the inner side. Following his example, we threw ourselves upon it with all our weight. One hinge snapped, then the other, and down came the door with a crash. Rushing over it, we found ourselves in the inner room. It was empty.
　　
　　But it was only for a moment that we were at fault. At one corner, the corner nearest the room which we had left, there was a second door. Holmes sprang to it and pulled it open. A coat and waistcoat were lying on the floor, and from a hook behind the door, with his own braces round his neck, was hanging the managing director of the Franco-Midland Hardware Company. His knees were drawn up, his head hung at a dreadful angle to his body, and the clatter of his heels against the door made the noise which had broken in upon our conversation. In an instant I had caught him round the waist, and held him up while Holmes and Pycroft untied the elastic bands which had disappeared between the livid creases of skin. Then we carried him into the other room, where he lay with a clay-colored face, puffing his purple lips in and out with every breath--a dreadful wreck of all that he had been but five minutes before.
　　
　　"What do you think of him, Watson?" asked Holmes.
　　
　　I stooped over him and examined him. His pulse was feeble and intermittent, but his breathing grew longer, and there was a little shivering of his eyelids, which showed a thin white slit of ball beneath.
　　
　　"It has been touch and go with him," said I, "but he'll live now. Just open that window, and hand me the water carafe." I undid his collar, poured the cold water over his face, and raised and sank his arms until he drew a long, natural breath. "It's only a question of time now," said I, as I turned away from him.
　　
　　Holmes stood by the table, with his hands deep in his trouser's pockets and his chin upon his breast.
　　
　　"I suppose we ought to call the police in now," said he. "And yet I confess that I'd like to give them a complete case when they come."
　　
　　"It's a blessed mystery to me," cried Pycroft, scratching his head. "Whatever they wanted to bring me all the way up here for, and then--"
　　
　　"Pooh! All that is clear enough," said Holmes impatiently. "It is this last sudden move."
　　
　　"You understand the rest, then?"
　　
　　"I think that it is fairly obvious. What do you say, Watson?"
　　
　　I shrugged my shoulders. "I must confess that I am out of my depths," said I.
　　
　　"Oh surely if you consider the events at first they can only point to one conclusion."
　　
　　"What do you make of them?"
　　
　　"Well, the whole thing hinges upon two points. The first is the making of Pycroft write a declaration by which he entered the service of this preposterous company. Do you not see how very suggestive that is?"
　　
　　"I am afraid I miss the point."
　　
　　"Well, why did they want him to do it? Not as a business matter, for these arrangements are usually verbal, and there was no earthly business reason why this should be an exception. Don't you see, my young friend, that they were very anxious to obtain a specimen of your handwriting, and had no other way of doing it?"
　　
　　"And why?"
　　
　　"Quite so. Why? When we answer that we have made some progress with our little problem. Why? There can be only one adequate reason. Some one wanted to learn to imitate your writing, and had to procure a specimen of it first. And now if we pass on to the second point we find that each throws light upon the other. That point is the request made by Pinner that you should not resign your place, but should leave the manager of this important business in the full expectation that a Mr. Hall Pycroft, whom he had never seen, was about to enter the office upon the Monday morning."
　　
　　"My God!" cried our client, "what a blind beetle I have been!"
　　
　　"Now you see the point about the handwriting. Suppose that some one turned up in your place who wrote a completely different hand from that in which you had applied for the vacancy, of course the game would have been up. But in the interval the rogue had learned to imitate you, and his position was therefore secure, as I presume that nobody in the office had ever set eyes upon you."
　　
　　"Not a soul," groaned Hall Pycroft.
　　
　　"Very good. Of course it was of the utmost importance to prevent you from thinking better of it, and also to keep you from coming into contact with any one who might tell you that your double was at work in Mawson's office. Therefore they gave you a handsome advance on your salary, and ran you off to the Midlands, where they gave you enough work to do to prevent your going to London, where you might have burst their little game up. That is all plain enough."
　　
　　"But why should this man pretend to be his own brother?"
　　
　　"Well, that is pretty clear also. There are evidently only two of them in it. The other is impersonating you at the office. This one acted as your engager, and then found that he could not find you an employer without admitting a third person into his plot. That he was most unwilling to do. He changed his appearance as far as he could, and trusted that the likeness, which you could not fail to observe, would be put down to a family resemblance. But for the happy chance of the gold stuffing, your suspicions would probably never have been aroused."
　　
　　Hall Pycroft shook his clinched hands in the air. "Good Lord!" he cried, "while I have been fooled in this way, what has this other Hall Pycroft been doing at Mawson's? What should we do, Mr. Holmes? Tell me what to do."
　　
　　"We must wire to Mawson's."
　　
　　"They shut at twelve on Saturdays."
　　
　　"Never mind. There may be some door-keeper or attendant--"
　　
　　"Ah yes, they keep a permanent guard there on account of the value of the securities that they hold. I remember hearing it talked of in the City."
　　
　　"Very good; we shall wire to him, and see if all is well, and if a clerk of your name is working there. That is clear enough; but what is not so clear is why at sight of us one of the rogues should instantly walk out of the room and hang himself."
　　
　　"The paper!" croaked a voice behind us. The man was sitting up, blanched and ghastly, with returning reason in his eyes, and hands which rubbed nervously at the broad red band which still encircled his throat.
　　
　　"The paper! Of course!" yelled Holmes, in a paroxysm of excitement. "Idiot that I was! I thought so much of our visit that the paper never entered my head for an instant. To be sure, the secret must be there." He flattened it out upon the table, and a cry of triumph burst from his lips. "Look at this, Watson," he cried. "It is a London paper, an early edition of the Evening Standard. Here is what we want. Look at the headlines: 'Crime in the City. Murder at Mawson & Williams's. Gigantic attempted Robbery. Capture of the Criminal.' Here, Watson, we are all equally anxious to hear it, so kindly read it aloud to us."
　　
　　It appeared from its position in the paper to have been the one event of importance in town, and the account of it ran in this way:
　　
　　"A desperate attempt at robbery, culminating in the death of one man and the capture of the criminal, occurred this afternoon in the City. For some time back Mawson & Williams, the famous financial house, have been the guardians of securities which amount in the aggregate to a sum of considerably over a million sterling. So conscious was the manager of the responsibility which devolved upon him in consequence of the great interests at stake that safes of the very latest construction have been employed, and an armed watchman has been left day and night in the building. It appears that last week a new clerk named Hall Pycroft was engaged by the firm. This person appears to have been none other that Beddington, the famous forger and cracksman, who, with his brother, had only recently emerged from a five years' spell of penal servitude. By some means, which are not yet clear, he succeeded in winning, under a false name, this official position in the office, which he utilized in order to obtain moulding of various locks, and a thorough knowledge of the position of the strong room and the safes.
　　
　　"It is customary at Mawson's for the clerks to leave at midday on Saturday. Sergeant Tuson, of the City Police, was somewhat surprised, therefore to see a gentleman with a carpet bag come down the steps at twenty minutes past one. His suspicions being aroused, the sergeant followed the man, and with the aid of Constable Pollock succeeded, after a most desperate resistance, in arresting him. It was at once clear that a daring and gigantic robbery had been committed. Nearly a hundred thousand pounds' worth of American railway bonds, with a large amount of scrip in mines and other companies, was discovered in the bag. On examining the premises the body of the unfortunate watchman was found doubled up and thrust into the largest of the safes, where it would not have been discovered until Monday morning had it not been for the prompt action of Sergeant Tuson. The man's skull had been shattered by a blow from a poker delivered from behind. There could be no doubt that Beddington had obtained entrance by pretending that he had left something behind him, and having murdered the watchman, rapidly rifled the large safe, and then made off with his booty. His brother, who usually works with him, has not appeared in this job as far as can at present be ascertained, although the police are making energetic inquiries as to his whereabouts."
　　
　　"Well, we may save the police some little trouble in that direction," said Holmes, glancing at the haggard figure huddled up by the window. "Human nature is a strange mixture, Watson. You see that even a villain and murderer can inspire such affection that his brother turns to suicide when he learns that his neck is forfeited. However, we have no choice as to our action. The doctor and I will remain on guard, Mr. Pycroft, if you will have the kindness to step out for the police."