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underlay my companion's quiet and didactic manner。 I made no remark；
however； but sat nursing my wounded leg。 I had a Jezail bullet through it
some time before； and； though it did not prevent me from walking； it
ached wearily at every change of the weather。
〃My practice has extended recently to the Continent；〃 said Holmes；
after a while； filling up his old brier…root pipe。 〃I was consulted last
week by Francois Le Villard； who； as you probably know； has come rather
to the front lately in the French detective service。 He has all the Celtic
power of quick intuition； but he is deficient in the wide range of exact
knowledge which is essential to the higher developments of his art。 The
case was concerned with a will； and possessed some features of interest。
I was able to refer him to two parallel cases； the one at Riga in 1857； and
the other at St。 Louis in 1871； which have suggested to him the true
solution。 Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my
assistance。〃 He tossed over； as he spoke； a crumpled sheet of foreign
notepaper。 I glanced my eyes down it； catching a profusion of notes of
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admiration； with stray 〃magnifiques；〃 〃coup…de…maitres；〃 and 〃tours…de…
force；〃 all testifying to the ardent admiration of the Frenchman。
〃He speaks as a pupil to his master；〃 said I。
〃Oh； he rates my assistance too highly；〃 said Sherlock Holmes； lightly。
〃He has considerable gifts himself。 He possesses two out of the three
qualities necessary for the ideal detective。 He has the power of
observation and that of deduction。 He is only wanting in knowledge； and
that may come in time。 He is now translating my small works into
French。〃
〃Your works？〃
〃Oh； didn't you know？〃 he cried； laughing。 〃Yes； I have been guilty
of several monographs。 They are all upon technical subjects。 Here； for
example； is one 'Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various
Tobaccoes。' In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar…；
cigarette…； and pipe…tobacco； with colored plates illustrating the difference
in the ash。 It is a point which is continually turning up in criminal trials；
and which is sometimes of supreme importance as a clue。 If you can say
definitely； for example； that some murder has been done by a man who
was smoking an Indian lunkah； it obviously narrows your field of search。
To the trained eye there is as much difference between the black ash of a
Trichinopoly and the white fluff of bird's…eye as there is between a
cabbage and a potato。〃
〃You have an extraordinary genius for minutiae；〃 I remarked。
〃I appreciate their importance。 Here is my monograph upon the
tracing of footsteps； with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as
a preserver of impresses。 Here； too； is a curious little work upon the
influence of a trade upon the form of the hand； with lithotypes of the
hands of slaters； sailors； corkcutters； compositors； weavers； and diamond…
polishers。 That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific
detective；especially in cases of unclaimed bodies； or in discovering the
antecedents of criminals。 But I weary you with my hobby。〃
〃Not at all；〃 I answered； earnestly。 〃It is of the greatest interest to me；
especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical
application of it。 But you spoke just now of observation and deduction。
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The Sign of the Four
Surely the one to some extent implies the other。〃
〃Why； hardly；〃 he answered； leaning back luxuriously in his arm… chair；
and sending up thick blue wreaths from his pipe。 〃For example；
observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street Post…
Office this morning； but deduction lets me know that when there you
dispatched a telegram。〃
〃Right！〃 said I。 〃Right on both points！ But I confess that I don't see
how you arrived at it。 It was a sudden impulse upon my part； and I have
mentioned it to no one。〃
〃It is simplicity itself；〃 he remarked； chuckling at my surprise；〃so
absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous； and yet it may serve to
define the limits of observation and of deduction。 Observation tells me
that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep。 Just
opposite the Seymour Street Office they have taken up the pavement and
thrown up some earth which lies in such a way that it is difficult to avoid
treading in it in entering。 The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which
is found； as far as I know； nowhere else in the neighborhood。 So much is
observation。 The rest is deduction。〃
〃How； then； did you deduce the telegram？〃
〃Why； of course I knew that you had not written a letter； since I sat
opposite to you all morning。 I see also in your open desk there that you
have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post… cards。 What could you
go into the post…office for； then； but to send a wire？ Eliminate all other
factors； and the one which remains must be the truth。〃
〃In this case it certainly is so；〃 I replied； after a little thought。 〃The
thing； however； is； as you say； of the simplest。 Would yo think me
impertinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test？〃
〃On the contrary；〃 he answered； 〃it would prevent me from taking a
second dose of cocaine。 I should be delighted to look into any problem
which you might submit to me。〃
〃I have heard you say that it is difficult for a man to have any object in
daily use without leaving the impress of his individuality upon it in such a
way that a trained observer might read it。 Now； I have here a watch
which has recently come into my possession。 Would you have the
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