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〃You first； Small；〃 remarked the wary Jones as they left the room。
〃I'll take particular care that you don't club me with your wooden leg；
whatever you may have done to the gentleman at the Andaman Isles。〃
〃Well； and there is the end of our little drama；〃 I remarked； after we
had set some time smoking in silence。 〃I fear that it may be the last
investigation in which I shall have the chance of studying your methods。
Miss Morstan has done me the honor to accept me as a husband in
prospective。〃
He gave a most dismal groan。 〃I feared as much；〃 said he。 〃I really
cannot congratulate you。〃
I was a little hurt。 〃Have you any reason to be dissatisfied with my
choice？〃 I asked。
〃Not at all。 I think she is one of the most charming young ladies I
ever met； and might have been most useful in such work as we have been
doing。 She had a decided genius that way： witness the way in which
she preserved that Agra plan from all the other papers of her father。 But
love is an emotional thing； and whatever is emotional is opposed to that
true cold reason which I place above all things。 I should never marry
myself； lest I bias my judgment。〃
〃I trust；〃 said I； laughing； 〃that my judgment may survive the ordeal。
But you look weary。〃
〃Yes； the reaction is already upon me。 I shall be as limp as a rag for a
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The Sign of the Four
week。〃
〃Strange；〃 said I； 〃how terms of what in another man I should call
laziness alternate with your fits of splendid energy and vigor。〃
〃Yes；〃 he answered； 〃there are in me the makings of a very fine loafer
and also of a pretty spry sort of fellow。 I often think of those lines of old
Goethe；
Schade dass die Natur nur EINEN Mensch aus Dir schuf； Denn zum
wuerdigen Mann war und zum Schelmen der Stoff。
By the way； a propos of this Norwood business； you see that they had；
as I surmised； a confederate in the house； who could be none other than
Lal Rao； the butler： so Jones actually has the undivided honor of having
caught one fish in his great haul。〃
〃The division seems rather unfair；〃 I remarked。 〃You have done all
the work in this business。 I get a wife out of it； Jones gets the credit； pray
what remains for you？〃
〃For me；〃 said Sherlock Holmes； 〃there still remains the cocaine…
bottle。〃 And he stretched his long white hand up for it。
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