Этюд в багровых тонах
The Science of Deduction.
OntheseoccasionsIhavenoticedsuchadreamy,vacantexpressioninhiseyes,thatImighthavesuspectedhimofbeingaddictedtotheuseofsomenarcotic,hadnotthetemperanceandcleanlinessofhiswholelifeforbiddensuchanotion.
Astheweekswentby,myinterestinhimandmycuriosityastohisaimsinlife,graduallydeepenedandincreased. Hisverypersonandappearanceweresuchastostriketheattentionofthemostcasualobserver. Inheighthewasratheroversixfeet,andsoexcessivelyleanthatheseemedtobeconsiderablytaller. Hiseyesweresharpandpiercing,saveduringthoseintervalsoftorportowhichIhavealluded;andhisthin,hawk-likenosegavehiswholeexpressionanairofalertnessanddecision. Hischin,too,hadtheprominenceandsquarenesswhichmarkthemanofdetermination. Hishandswereinvariablyblottedwithinkandstainedwithchemicals,yethewaspossessedofextraordinarydelicacyoftouch,asIfrequentlyhadoccasiontoobservewhenIwatchedhimmanipulatinghisfragilephilosophicalinstruments.
Thereadermaysetmedownasahopelessbusybody,whenIconfesshowmuchthismanstimulatedmycuriosity,andhowoftenIendeavouredtobreakthroughthereticencewhichheshowedonallthatconcernedhimself. Beforepronouncingjudgment,however,beitremembered,howobjectlesswasmylife,andhowlittletherewastoengagemyattention. Myhealthforbademefromventuringoutunlesstheweatherwasexceptionallygenial,andIhadnofriendswhowouldcalluponmeandbreakthemonotonyofmydailyexistence.
