A Study in Scarlet — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A STUDY IN SCARLET, 33 7. Knowledge of Chemistry.—Profound. 8. . “ Anatomy.—Accurate, but unsys- tematic. >. “ Sensational Literature.—-Immense. He appears to know every de. tail of every horror perpetrated in the century. 10. Plays the violin well. 11. Is an expert single-stick player, boxer, and swords man. 12. Has a good practical knowledge of British law. When I had got so far in my list I threw it into the fire in despair. “If I cannot find what the fellow is driving at by reconciling all these accomplishments, and discovering a calling which needs them all,” I said to myself, “1 may as well give up the attempt at once.” I see that I have alluded above to his powers upon the violin. These were very remarkable, but as eccentric as all his other accomplishments, That he could play pieces, and difficult pieces, I knew well, because at my request he has played me some of Mendelssohn’s Lieder, and other favorites. When left to himself, however, he would seldom produce any music or attempt any recog- nized air. Leaning back in his arm-chair of an evening he would Close his eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle, which was thrown across his knee. Sometimes the chords were sonorous and melancholy. Occasionally they were fan- tastic and cheerful. Clearly they reflected the thoughts GOMmiGcdoo