A Scandal in Bohemia

           ToSherlockHolmessheisalwaysthewoman. Ihaveseldomheardhimmentionherunderanyothername. Inhiseyessheeclipsesandpredominatesthewholeofhersex. ItwasnotthathefeltanyemotionakintoloveforIreneAdler. Allemotions,andthatoneparticularly,wereabhorrenttohiscold,precisebutadmirablybalancedmind. Hewas,Itakeit,themostperfectreasoningandobservingmachinethattheworldhasseen, butasaloverhewouldhaveplacedhimselfinafalseposition. Heneverspokeofthesofterpassions,savewithagibeandasneer. Theywereadmirablethingsfortheobserver—excellentfordrawingtheveilfrommen’smotivesandactions. Butforthetrainedreasonertoadmitsuchintrusionsintohisowndelicateandfinelyadjustedtemperamentwastointroduceadistractingfactorwhichmightthrowadoubtuponallhismentalresults. Gritinasensitiveinstrument,oracrackinoneofhisownhigh-powerlenses,wouldnotbemoredisturbingthanastrongemotioninanaturesuchashis. Andyettherewasbutonewomantohim,andthatwomanwasthelateIreneAdler,ofdubiousandquestionablememory. 

           IhadseenlittleofHolmeslately.Mymarriagehaddriftedusawayfromeachother. Myowncompletehappiness,andthehome-centredinterests whichriseuparoundthemanwhofirstfindshimselfmasterofhisownestablishment, weresufficienttoabsorballmyattention, whileHolmes,wholoathedeveryformofsocietywithhiswholeBohemiansoul,remainedinourlodgingsinBakerStreet, buriedamonghisoldbooks,andalternatingfromweektoweekbetweencocaineandambition,thedrowsinessofthedrug, andthefierceenergyofhisownkeennature. Hewasstill,asever,deeplyattractedbythestudyofcrime, andoccupiedhisimmensefacultiesandextraordinarypowersofobservationinfollowingoutthoseclues, andclearingupthosemysterieswhichhadbeenabandonedashopelessbytheofficialpolice.