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What age would he be？〃
〃Youngish； sirnot over thirty。〃
〃Well； can you give me no further indications？〃
〃He spoke good English； sir； and yet I thought he was a foreigner by
his accent。〃
〃And he was well dressed？〃
〃Very smartly dressed； sirquite the gentleman。 Dark clothes
nothing you would note。〃
〃He gave no name？〃
No； sir。〃
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The Adventure of the Red Circle
〃And has had no letters or callers？〃
〃None。〃
〃But surely you or the girl enter his room of a morning？〃
〃No； sir； he looks after himself entirely。〃
〃Dear me！ that is certainly remarkable。 What about his luggage？〃
〃He had one big brown bag with himnothing else。〃
〃Well； we don't seem to have much material to help us。 Do you say
nothing has come out of that roomabsolutely nothing？〃
The landlady drew an envelope from her bag； from it she shook out
two burnt matches and a cigarette…end upon the table。
〃They were on his tray this morning。 I brought them because I had
heard that you can read great things out of small ones。〃
Holmes shrugged his shoulders。
〃There is nothing here；〃 said he。 〃The matches have； of course； been
used to light cigarettes。 That is obvious from the shortness of the burnt
end。 Half the match is consumed in lighting a pipe or cigar。 But； dear
me！ this cigarette stub is certainly remarkable。 The gentleman 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 chooses 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。
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〃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 strike 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 form this cigarette…end； was it not suggestive that the only
time the lodger went out was immediately after his taking the rooms？ He
came backor someone came backwhen 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
newspaper。 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 on 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
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patient。 Will find some sure means of communications。 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 arethree 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 agreedOne 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