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was bearded and moustached； you say？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃I don't understand that。 I should say that only a clean…shaven
man could have smoked this。 Why； Watson； even your modest moustache
would have been singed。〃
〃A holder？〃 I suggested。
〃No； no； the end is matted。 I suppose there could not be two
people in your rooms； Mrs。 Warren？〃
〃No； sir。 He eats so little that I often wonder it can keep life
in one。〃
〃Well； I think we must wait for a little more material。 After all；
you have nothing to complain of。 You have received your rent and he is
not a troublesome lodger； though he is certainly an unusual one。 He
pays you well。 and if he choses to lie concealed it is no direct
business of yours。 We have no excuse for an intrusion upon his privacy
until we have some reason to think that there is a guilty reason for
it。 I've taken up the matter； and I won't lose sight of it。 Report
to me if anything fresh occurs； and rely upon my assistance if it
should be needed。
〃There are certainly some points of interest in this case；
Watson；〃 he remarked when the landlady had left us。 〃It may； of
course； be trivial… individual eccentricity； or it may be very much
deeper than appears on the surface。 The first thing that strikes one
is the obvious possibility that the person now in the rooms may be
entirely different from the one who engaged them。〃
〃Why should you think so？〃
〃Well； apart from this cigarette…end； was it not suggestive that the
only time the lodger went out was immediately after his taking the
rooms？ He came back… or someone came back… when all witnesses were out
of the way。 We have no proof that the person who came back was the
person who went out。 Then； again； the man who took the rooms spoke
English well。 This other； however； prints 'match' when it should
have been 'matches。' I can imagine that the word was taken out of a
dictionary； which would give the noun but not the plural。 The
laconic style may be to conceal the absence of knowledge of English。
Yes； Watson； there are good reasons to suspect that there has been a
substitution of lodgers。〃
〃But for what possible end？〃
〃Ah！ there lies our problem。 There is one rather obvious line of
investigation。〃 He took down the great book in which； day by day； he
filed the agony columns of the various London journals。 〃Dear me！〃
said he； turning over the pages； 〃what a chorus of groans； cries；
and bleatings！ What a rag…bag of singular happenings！ But surely the
most valuable hunting…ground that ever was given to a student of the
unusual！ This person is alone and cannot be approached by letter
without a breach of that absolute secrecy which is desired。 How is any
news or any message to reach him from without？ Obviously by
advertisement through a news paper。 There seems no other way； and
fortunately we need concern ourselves with the one paper only。 Here
are the Daily Gazette extracts of the last fortnight。 'Lady with a
black boa at Prince's Skating Club'… that we may pass。 'Surely Jimmy
will not break his mother's heart'… that appears to be irrelevant。 'If
the lady who fainted in the Brixton bus'… she does not interest me。
'Every day my heart longs…' Bleat； Watson… unmitigated bleat！ Ah； this
is a little more possible。 Listen to this： 'Be patient。 Will find some
sure means of communication。 Meanwhile； this column。 G。' That is two
days after Mrs。 Warren's lodger arrived。 It sounds plausible； does
it not？ The mysterious one could understand English； even if he
could not print it。 Let us see if we can pick up the trace again。 Yes；
here we are… three days later。 'Am making successful arrangements。
Patience and prudence。 The clouds will pass。 G。' Nothing for a week
after that。 Then comes something much more definite： 'The path is
clearing。 If I find chance signal message remember code agreed… one A；
two B； and so on。 You will hear soon。 G。' That was in yesterday's
paper； and there is nothing in to…day's。 It's all very appropriate
to Mrs。 Warren's lodger。 If we wait a little； Watson； I don't doubt
that the affair will grow more intelligible。〃
So it proved； for in the morning I found my friend standing on the
hearthrug with his back to the fire and a smile of complete
satisfaction upon his face。
〃How's this； Watson？〃 he cried； picking up the paper from the table。
'High red house with white stone facings。 Third floor。 Second window
left。 After dusk。 G。' That is definite enough。 I think after breakfast
we must make a little reconnaissance of Mrs。 Warren's neighbourhood。
Ah； Mrs。 Warren！ what news do you bring us this morning？〃
Our client had suddenly burst into the room with an explosive energy
which told of some new and momentous development。
〃It's a police matter； Mr。 Holmes〃 she cried。 〃I'll have no more
of it。 He shall pack out of there with his baggage。 I would have
gone straight up and told him so； only I thought it was but fair to
you to take your opinion first。 But I'm at the end of my patience； and
when it comes to knocking my old man about…〃
〃Knocking Mr。 Warren about？〃
〃Using him roughly； anyway。〃
〃But who used him roughly？〃
〃Ah！ that's what we want to know！ It was this morning； sir。 Mr。
Warren is a timekeeper at Morton and Waylight's； in Tottenham Court
Road。 He has to be out of the house before seven。 Well； this morning
he had not gone ten paces down the road when two men came up behind
him； threw a coat over his head； and bundled him into a cab that was
beside the curb。 They drove him an hour； and then opened the door
and shot him out。 He lay in the roadway so shaken in his wits that
he never saw what became of the cab。 When he picked himself up he
found he was on Hampstead Heath； so he took a bus home； and there he
lies now on the sofa； while I came straight round to tell you what had
happened。〃
〃Most interesting；〃 said Holmes。 〃Did he observe the appearance of
these men… did he hear them talk？〃
〃No； he is clean dazed。 He just knows that he was lifted up as if by
magic and dropped as if by magic。 Two at least were in it； and maybe
three。〃
〃And you connect this attack with your lodger？〃
〃Well； we've lived there fifteen years and no such happenings ever
came before。 I've had enough of him。 Money's not everything。 I'll have
him out of my house before the day is done。〃
〃Wait a bit； Mrs。 Warren。 Do nothing rash。 I begin to think that
this affair may be very much more important than appeared at first
sight。 It is clear now that some danger is threatening your lodger。 It
is equally clear that his enemies； lying in wait for him near your
door； mistook your husband for him in the foggy morning light。 On
discovering their mistake they released him。 What they would have done
had it not been a mistake； we can only conjecture。〃
〃Well； what am I to do； Mr。 Holmes？〃
〃I have a great fancy to see this lodger of yours； Mrs。 Warren。〃
〃I don't see how that is to be managed； unless you break in the
door。 I always hear him