The Naval Treaty

           TheJulywhichimmediatelysucceededmymarriagewasmadememorablebythreecasesofinterest,inwhichIhadtheprivilegeofbeingassociatedwithSherlockHolmesandofstudyinghismethods.Ifindthemrecordedinmynotesundertheheadingsof"TheAdventureoftheSecondStain,""TheAdventureoftheNavalTreaty,"and"TheAdventureoftheTiredCaptain."Thefirstofthese,however,dealswithinterestsofsuchimportanceandimplicatessomanyofthefirstfamiliesinthekingdomthatformanyyearsitwillbeimpossibletomakeitpublic.Nocase,however,inwhichHolmeswasengagedhaseverillustratedthevalueofhisanalyticalmethodssoclearlyorhasimpressedthosewhowereassociatedwithhimsodeeply.IstillretainanalmostverbatimreportoftheinterviewinwhichhedemonstratedthetruefactsofthecasetoMonsieurDubugueoftheParispolice,andFritzvonWaldbaum,thewell-knownspecialistofDantzig,bothofwhomhadwastedtheirenergiesuponwhatprovedtobeside-issues.Thenewcenturywillhavecome,however,beforethestorycanbesafelytold.MeanwhileIpassontothesecondonmylist,whichpromisedalsoatonetimetobeofnationalimportanceandwasmarkedbyseveralincidentswhichgiveitaquiteuniquecharacter.

           Duringmyschool-daysIhadbeenintimatelyassociatedwithaladnamedPercyPhelps,whowasofmuchthesameageasmyself,thoughhewastwoclassesaheadofme.