Этюд в багровых тонах
The Science of Deduction.
ThenIpickedupamagazinefromthetableandattemptedtowhileawaythetimewithit,whilemycompanionmunchedsilentlyathistoast. Oneofthearticleshadapencilmarkattheheading,andInaturallybegantorunmyeyethroughit.
Itssomewhatambitioustitlewas“TheBookofLife,”anditattemptedtoshowhowmuchanobservantmanmightlearnbyanaccurateandsystematicexaminationofallthatcameinhisway. Itstruckmeasbeingaremarkablemixtureofshrewdnessandofabsurdity. Thereasoningwascloseandintense,butthedeductionsappearedtometobefar-fetchedandexaggerated. Thewriterclaimedbyamomentaryexpression,atwitchofamuscleoraglanceofaneye,tofathomaman’sinmostthoughts. Deceit,accordingtohim,wasanimpossibilityinthecaseofonetrainedtoobservationandanalysis. HisconclusionswereasinfallibleassomanypropositionsofEuclid. Sostartlingwouldhisresultsappeartotheuninitiatedthatuntiltheylearnedtheprocessesbywhichhehadarrivedatthemtheymightwellconsiderhimasanecromancer.
“Fromadropofwater,”saidthewriter,“alogiciancouldinferthepossibilityofanAtlanticoraNiagarawithouthavingseenorheardofoneortheother. Soalllifeisagreatchain,thenatureofwhichisknownwheneverweareshownasinglelinkofit. Likeallotherarts,theScienceofDeductionandAnalysisisonewhichcanonlybeacquiredbylongandpatientstudynorislifelongenoughtoallowanymortaltoattainthehighestpossibleperfectioninit.
