I leave a photograph which he might care to
    possess; and I remain, dear Mr
Sherlock Holmes,


    “Very truly yours,

    “IRENE NORTON, _née_ ADLER.”


“What a woman—oh, what a woman!” cried the King of Bohemia, when we had
all three read this epistle
“Did I not tell you how quick and resolute
she was
Would she not have made an admirable queen
Is it not a pity
that she was not on my level?”

“From what I have seen of the lady, she seems, indeed, to be on a very
different level to your Majesty,” said Holmes coldly
“I am sorry that
I have not been able to bring your Majesty’s business to a more
successful conclusion.”

“On the contrary, my dear sir,” cried the King; “nothing could be more
successful
I know that her word is inviolate
The photograph is now as
safe as if it were in the fire.”

“I am glad to hear your Majesty say so.”

“I am immensely indebted to you
Pray tell me in what way I can reward
you
This ring—” He slipped an emerald snake ring from his finger and
held it out upon the palm of his hand
“Your Majesty has something which I should value even more highly,”
said Holmes
“You have but to name it.”

“This photograph!”

The King stared at him in amazement
“Certainly, if you wish it.”

“I thank your Majesty
Then there is no more to be done in the matter
I have the honour to wish you a very good morning.” He bowed, and,
turning away without observing the hand which the King had stretched
out to him, he set off in my company for his chambers
And that was how a great scandal threatened to affect the kingdom of
Bohemia, and how the best plans of Mr
Sherlock Holmes were beaten by a
woman’s wit
He used to make merry over the cleverness of women, but I
have not heard him do it of late
And when he speaks of Irene Adler, or
when he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honourable
title of _the_ woman
THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE


 I had called upon my friend, Mr
Sherlock Holmes, one day in the
 autumn of last year and found him in deep conversation with a very
 stout, florid-faced, elderly gentleman with fiery red hair
With an
 apology for my intrusion, I was about to withdraw when Holmes pulled
 me abruptly into the room and closed the door behind me
“You could not possibly have come at a better time, my dear Watson,” he
said cordially
“I was afraid that you were engaged.”

“So I am
Very much so.”

“Then I can wait in the next room.”

“Not at all
“Try the settee,” said Holmes, relapsing into his armchair and putting
his fingertips together, as was his custom when in judicial moods
“I
know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and
outside the conventions and humdrum routine of everyday life
Jabez Wilson here has been good enough to call upon me this morning,
and to begin a narrative which promises to be one of the most singular
which I have listened to for some time
Wilson, you would have the great kindness to recommence
your narrative
I ask you not merely because my friend Dr
Watson has
not heard the opening part but also because the peculiar nature of the
story makes me anxious to have every possible detail from your lips
As
a rule, when I have heard some slight indication of the course of
events, I am able to guide myself by the thousands of other similar
cases which occur to my memory
I did not gain very much, however, by my inspection
Our visitor bore
every mark of being an average commonplace British tradesman, obese,
pompous, and slow
A frayed top-hat and a faded brown
overcoat with a wrinkled velvet collar lay upon a chair beside him
Altogether, look as I would, there was nothing remarkable about the man
save his blazing red head, and the expression of extreme chagrin and
discontent upon his features
Sherlock Holmes’ quick eye took in my occupation, and he shook his head
with a smile as he noticed my questioning glances
Jabez Wilson started up in his chair, with his forefinger upon the
paper, but his eyes upon my companion
“How, in the name of good-fortune, did you know all that, Mr
“How did you know, for example, that I did manual labour
It’s as true as gospel, for I began as a ship’s carpenter.”

“Your hands, my dear sir
Your right hand is quite a size larger than
your left
I have made a small study of tattoo
marks and have even contributed to the literature of the subject
That
trick of staining the fishes’ scales of a delicate pink is quite
peculiar to China
When, in addition, I see a Chinese coin hanging from
your watch-chain, the matter becomes even more simple.”

Mr
“I thought
at first that you had done something clever, but I see that there was
nothing in it after all.”

“I begin to think, Watson,” said Holmes, “that I make a mistake in
explaining
‘_Omne ignotum pro magnifico_,’ you know, and my poor
little reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so
candid
Can you not find the advertisement, Mr
Wilson?”

“Yes, I have got it now,” he answered with his thick red finger planted
halfway down the column
All red-headed men who are sound in
body and mind and above the age of twenty-one years, are eligible
