A Study in Scarlet — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

62 A STUDY IN SCARLET. The hall door had hardly slammed behind our visitor before Holmes had descended the stair. Looking through the window I could see her walk- ing feebly along the other side, while her pursuer dogged her some little distance behind. ‘Hither his whole theory is incorrect,’’ I thought to myself, ‘‘or else he will be led now to the hear; of the mystery.’’ There was no need for him to ask me to wait up for him, for I felt that sleep was impossible until I heard the result of his adventure. It was close upon nine when he set out. I had no idea how long he might be, but I sat stolidly puffing at my pipe and skipping over the pages of Henri Murger’s ‘‘Vie de Bohéme.’’ Ten o’clock passed, and I heard the footsteps of the maids as they pat- tered off to bed. Eleven, and the more stately tread of the landlady passed by my door, bound for the same destination. It was close upon twelve before I heard the sharp sound of his latch key. The instant he entered I saw by his face that he had not been successful. Amusement and chagrin seemed to be struggling for the mastery, until the former sudden- ly carried the day, and he burst into a hearty laugh. ‘‘T wouldn’t have the Scotland Yarders know it for the world,’’ he cried, dropping into his chair; ‘I have chaffed them so much that they would never have let me hear the end of it. I can afford to laugh, because I know that I will be even with them in the long run.”’ (EO) nm @ JOO cS (E(0)