"indeed, your example is an unfortunate one for your argument," said holmes, taking the paper and glancing his eye down it. "this is the dundas separation case, and, as it happens, i was engaged in clearing up some small points in connection with it. the husband was a teetotaler, there was no other woman, and the conduct complained of was that he had drifted into the habit of winding up every meal by taking out his false teeth and hurling them at his wife, which, you will allow, is not an action likely to occur to the imagination of the average story-teller. take a pinch of snuff, doctor, and acknowledge that i have scored over you in your example."