of the neighbouring landowner, who believe in his innocence, and who have

retained Lestrade, whom you may recollect in connection with the Study in

Scarlet, to work out the case in his interest. Lestrade, being rather puzzled,

has referred the case to me, and hence it is that two middle-aged gentlemen are

flying westward at fifty miles an hour instead of quietly digesting their

breakfasts at home.”


“I am afraid,” said I, “that the facts are so obvious that

you will find little credit to be gained out of this case.”


“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact,” he

answered, laughing. “Besides, we may chance to hit upon some other

obvious facts which may have been by no means obvious to Mr. Lestrade. You know

me too well to think that I am boasting when I say that I shall either confirm

or destroy his theory by means which he is quite incapable of employing, or

even of understanding. To take the first example to hand, I very clearly

perceive that in your bedroom the window is upon the right-hand side, and yet I

question whether Mr. Lestrade would have noted even so self-evident a thing as

that.”


“How on earth—”


“My dear fellow, I know you well. I know the military neatness which

characterises you. You shave every morning, and in this season you shave by the

sunlight; but since your shaving is less and less complete as we get farther

back on the left side, until it becomes positively slovenly as we get round the

angle of the jaw, it is surely very clear that that side is less illuminated

than the other. I could not imagine a man of your habits looking at himself in

an equal light and being satisfied with such a result. I only quote this as a

trivial example of observation and inference. Therein lies my métier,

and it is just possible that it may be of some service in the investigation

which lies before us. There are one or two minor points which were brought out

in the inquest, and which are worth considering.”