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〃I will bring him in a cab； if I have to carry him down to it。〃
〃You will do nothing of the sort。 You will persuade him to come。 And
then you will return in front of him。 Make any excuse so as not to
come with him。 Don't forget； Watson。 You won't fail me。 You never
did fail me。 No doubt there are natural enemies which limit the
increase of the creatures。 You and I； Watson； we have done our part。
Shall the world； then； be overrun by oysters？ No； no； horrible！ You'll
convey all that is in your mind。〃
I left him full of the image of this magnificent intellect
babbling like a foolish child。 He had handed me the key； and with a
happy thought I took it with me lest he should lock himself in。 Mrs。
Hudson was waiting； trembling and weeping； in the passage。 Behind me
as I passed from the flat I heard Holmes's high； thin voice in some
delirious chant。 Below； as I stood whistling for a cab； a man came
on me through the fog。
〃How is Mr。 Holmes； sir？〃 he asked。
It was an old acquaintance； Inspector Morton； of Scotland Yard；
dressed in unofficial tweeds。
〃He is very ill；〃 I answered。
He looked at me in a most singular fashion。 Had it not been too
fiendish； I could have imagined that the gleam of the fanlight
showed exultation in his face。
〃I heard some rumour of it；〃 said he。
The cab had driven up； and I left him。
Lower Burke Street proved to be a line of fine houses lying in the
vague borderland between Notting Hill and Kensington。 The particular
one at which my cabman pulled up had an air of smug and demure
respectability in its old…fashioned iron railings； its massive
folding…door； and its shining brasswork。 All was in keeping with； a
solemn butler who appeared framed in the pink radiance of a tinted
electric light behind him。
〃Yes； Mr。 Culverton Smith is in； Dr。 Watson！ Very good； sir； I
will take up your card。〃
My humble name and title did not appear to impress Mr。 Culverton
Smith。 Through the half…open door I heard a high； petulant；
penetrating voice。
〃Who is this person？ What does he want？ Dear me； Staples； how
often have I said that I am； not to be disturbed in my hours of
study？〃
There came a gentle flow of soothing explanation from the butler。
〃Well； I won't see him； Staples。 I can't have my work interrupted
like this。 I am not at home。 Say so。 tell him to come in the morning
if he really must see me。〃
Again the gentle murmur。
〃Well； well； give him that message。 He can come in the morning； or
he can stay away。 My work must not be hindered。〃
I thought of Holmes tossing upon his bed of sickness and counting
the minutes； perhaps； until I could bring help to him。 It was not a
time to stand upon ceremony。 His life depended upon my promptness。
Before the apologetic butler had delivered his message I had pushed
past him and was in the room。
With a shrill cry of anger a man rose from a reclining chair
beside the fire。 I saw a great yellow face； coarse…grained and greasy；
with heavy； double…chin； and two sullen； menacing gray eyes which
glared at me from under tufted and sandy brows。 A high bald head had a
small velvet smoking…cap poised coquettishly upon one side of its pink
curve。 The skull was of enormous capacity； and yet as I looked down
I saw to my amazement that the figure of the man was small and
frail； twisted in the shoulders and back like one who has suffered
from rickets in his childhood。
〃What's this？〃 he cried in a high； screaming voice。 〃What is the
meaning of this intrusion？ Didn't I send you word that I would see you
to…morrow morning？〃
〃I am sorry；〃 said I； 〃but the matter cannot be delayed。 Mr。
Sherlock Holmes…〃
The mention of my friend's name had an extraordinary effect upon the
little man。 The look of anger passed in an instant from his face。
His features became tense and alert。
〃Have you come from Holmes？〃 he asked。
〃I have just left him。〃
〃What about Holmes？ How is he？〃
〃He is desperately ill。 That is why I have come。〃
The man motioned me to a chair； and turned to resume his own。 As
he did so I caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror over the
mantelpiece。 I could have sworn that it was set in a malicious and
abominable smile。 Yet I persuaded myself that it must have been some
nervous contraction which I had surprised； for he turned to me an
instant later with genuine concern upon his features。
〃I am sorry to hear this；〃 said he。 〃I only know Mr。 Holmes
through some business dealings which we have had； but I have every
respect for his talents and his character。 He is an amateur of
crime； as I am of disease。 For him the villain； for me the microbe。
There are my prisons；〃 he continued； pointing to a row of bottles
and jars which stood upon a side table。 〃Among those gelatine
cultivations some of the very worst offenders in the world are now
doing time。〃
〃It was on account of your special knowledge that Mr。 Holmes desired
to see you。 He has a high opinion of you and thought that you were the
one man in London who could help him。〃
The little man started； and the jaunty smoking…cap slid to the
floor。
〃Why？〃 he asked。 〃Why should Mr。 Holmes think that I could help
him in his trouble？〃
〃Because of your knowledge of Eastern diseases。〃
〃But why should he think that this disease which he has contracted
is Eastern？〃
〃Because； in some professional inquiry； he has been working among
Chinese sailors down in the docks。〃
Mr。 Culverton Smith smiled pleasantly and picked up his smoking…cap。
〃Oh； that's it… is it？〃 said he。 〃I trust the matter is not so grave
as you suppose。 How long has he been ill？〃
〃About three days。〃
〃Is he delirious？〃
〃Occasionally。〃
〃Tut； tut！ This sounds serious。 It would be inhuman not to answer
his call。 I very much resent any interruption to my work； Dr。
Watson； but this case is certainly exceptional。 I will come with you
at once。〃
I remembered Holmes's injunction。
〃I have another appointment；〃 said I。
〃Very good。 I will go alone。 I have a note of Mr。 Holmes's
address。 You can rely upon my being there within half an hour at
most。〃
It was with a sinking heart that I reentered Holmes's bedroom。 For
all that I knew the worst might have happened in my absence。 To my
enormous relief； he had improved greatly in the interval。 His
appearance was as ghastly as ever； but all trace of delirium had
left him and he spoke in a feeble voice； it is true； but with even
more than his usual crispness and lucidity。
〃Well； did you see him； Watson？〃
〃Yes； he is coming。〃
〃Admirable； Watson！ Admirable！ You are the best of messengers。〃
〃He wished to return with me。〃
〃That would never do； Watson。 That would be obviously impossible。
Did he ask what ailed me？〃
〃I told him about the Chinese in the East End。〃
〃Exactly！ Well； Watson； you have done all that a good friend
could。 You can now disappear from the scene。〃
〃I must wait and hear his opinion； Holmes。〃
〃Of course you must。 But I have reasons to suppose that this opinion
would be very much more frank and valuable if he imagines