The Resident Patient

           InglancingoverthesomewhatincoherentseriesofMemoirswithwhichIhaveendeavouredtoillustrateafewofthementalpeculiaritiesofmyfriendMr.SherlockHolmes,IhavebeenstruckbythedifficultywhichIhaveexperiencedinpickingoutexampleswhichshallineverywayanswermypurpose.ForinthosecasesinwhichHolmeshasperformedsometourdeforceofanalyticalreasoning,andhasdemonstratedthevalueofhispeculiarmethodsofinvestigation,thefactsthemselveshaveoftenbeensoslightorsocommonplacethatIcouldnotfeeljustifiedinlayingthembeforethepublic.Ontheotherhand,ithasfrequentlyhappenedthathehasbeenconcernedinsomeresearchwherethefactshavebeenofthemostremarkableanddramaticcharacter,butwherethesharewhichhehashimselftakenindeterminingtheircauseshasbeenlesspronouncedthanI,ashisbiographer,couldwish.ThesmallmatterwhichIhavechronicledundertheheadingof"AStudyinScarlet,"andthatotherlateroneconnectedwiththelossoftheGloriaScott,mayserveasexamplesofthisScyllaandCharybdiswhichareforeverthreateningthehistorian.ItmaybethatinthebusinessofwhichIamnowabouttowritethepartwhichmyfriendplayedisnotsufficientlyaccentuated;andyetthewholetrainofcircumstancesissoremarkablethatIcannotbringmyselftoomititentirelyfromthisseries.

           Ithadbeenaclose,rainydayinOctober.