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The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
The Adventure of the
Cardboard Box
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
In choosing a few typical cases which illustrate the remarkable mental
qualities of my friend； Sherlock Holmes； I have endeavoured； as far as
possible； to select those which presented the minimum of sensationalism；
while offering a fair field for his talents。 It is； however； unfortunately
impossible entirely to separate the sensational from the criminal； and a
chronicler is left in the dilemma that he must either sacrifice details which
are essential to his statement and so give a false impression of the problem；
or he must use matter which chance； and not choice； has provided him
with。 With this short preface I shall turn to my notes of what proved to
be a strange； though a peculiarly terrible； chain of events。
It was a blazing hot day in August。 Baker Street was like an oven；
and the glare of the sunlight upon the yellow brickwork of the house
across the road was painful to the eye。 It was hard to believe that these
were the same walls which loomed so gloomily through the fogs of winter。
Our blinds were half…drawn； and Holmes lay curled upon the sofa； reading
and re…reading a letter which he had received by the morning post。 For
myself； my term of service in India had trained me to stand heat better
than cold； and a thermometer at ninety was no hardship。 But the morning
paper was uninteresting。 Parliament had risen。 Everybody was out of
town； and I yearned for the glades of the New Forest or the shingle of
Southsea。 A depleted bank account had caused me to postpone my
holiday； and as to my companion； neither the country nor the sea presented
the slightest attraction to him。 He loved to lie in the very center of five
millions of people； with his filaments stretching out and running through
them； responsive to every little rumour or suspicion of unsolved crime。
Appreciation of nature found no place among his many gifts； and his only
change was when he turned his mind from the evil…doer of the town to
track down his brother of the country。
Finding that Holmes was too absorbed for conversation I had tossed
side the barren paper； and leaning back in my chair I fell into a brown
study。 Suddenly my companion's voice broke in upon my thoughts：
〃You are right； Watson；〃 said he。 〃It does seem a most preposterous
way of settling a dispute。〃
〃Most preposterous！〃 I exclaimed； and then suddenly realizing how he
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The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
had echoed the inmost thought of my soul； I sat up in my chair and stared
at him in blank amazement。
〃What is this； Holmes？〃 I cried。 〃This is beyond anything which I
could have imagined。〃
He laughed heartily at my perplexity。
〃You remember；〃 said he； 〃that some little time ago when I read you
the passage in one of Poe's sketches in which a close reasoner follows the
unspoken thoughts of his companion； you were inclined to treat the matter
as a mere tour…de…force of the author。 On my remarking that I was
constantly in the habit of doing the same thing you expressed incredulity。〃
〃Oh； no！〃
〃Perhaps not with your tongue； my dear Watson； but certainly with
your eyebrows。 So when I saw you throw down your paper and enter
upon a train of thought； I was very happy to have the opportunity of
reading it off； and eventually of breaking into it； as a proof that I had been
in rapport with you。〃
But I was still far from satisfied。 〃In the example which you read to
me；〃 said I； 〃the reasoner drew his conclusions from the actions of the
man whom he observed。 If I remember right； he stumbled over a heap of
stones； looked up at the stars； and so on。 But I have been seated quietly
in my chair； and what clues can I have given you？〃
〃You do yourself an injustice。 The features are given to man as the
means by which he shall express his emotions； and yours are faithful
servants。〃
〃Do you mean to say that you read my train of thoughts from my
features？〃
〃Your features and especially your eyes。 Perhaps you cannot yourself
recall how your reverie commenced？〃
〃No； I cannot。〃
〃Then I will tell you。 After throwing down your paper； which was
the action which drew my attention to you； you sat for half a minute with a
vacant expression。 Then your eyes fixed themselves upon your newly
framed picture of General Gordon； and I saw by the alteration in your face
that a train of thought had been started。 But it did not lead very far。
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The Adventure of the Cardboard Box
Your eyes flashed across tho the unframed portrait of Henry Ward Beecher
which stands upon the top of your books。 Then you glanced up at the
wall； and of course your meaning was obvious。 You were thinking that if
the portrait were framed it would just cover that bare space and correspond
with Gordon's picture there。〃
〃You have followed me wonderfully！〃 I exclaimed。
〃So far I could hardly have gone astray。 But now your thoughts went
back to Beecher； and you looked hard across as if you were studying the
character in his features。 Then your eyes ceased to pucker； but you
continued to look across； and your face was thoughtful。 You were
recalling the incidents of Beecher's career。 I was well aware that you
could not do this without thinking of the mission which he undertook on
behalf of the North at the time of the Civil War； for I remember your
expressing your passionate indignation at the way in which he was
received by the more turbulent of our people。 You felt so strongly about
it that I knew you could not think of Beecher without thinking of that also。
When a moment later I saw your eyes wander away from the picture； I
suspected that your mind had now turned to the Civil War； and when I
observed that your lips set； your eyes sparkled； and your hands clenched I
was positive that you were indeed thinking of the gallantry which was
shown by both sides in that desperate struggle。 But then； again； your face
grew sadder； you shook your head。 You were dwelling upon the sadness
and horror and useless waste of life。 Your hand stole towards your own
old wound and a smile quivered on your lips； which showed me that the
ridiculous side of this method of settling international questions had forced
itself upon your mind。 At this point I agreed with you that it was
preposterous and was glad to find that all my deductions had been
correct。〃
〃Absolutely！〃