low over his glittering eyes as i glanced at him i could not but think how on that very day he had complained bitterly of the of life here at least was a problem which would tax his sagacity to the utmost mr looked from one to the other of us with an obvious pride at the effect which his story had produced and then continued between the of his overgrown pipe my brother and i said he were as you the sign of four may imagine much excited as to the treasure which my father had spoken of for weeks and for months we dug and in every part of the garden without discovering its whereabouts it was to think that the hiding place was on his very lips at the moment that he died we could judge the splendour of the missing riches by the which he had taken out over this my brother and i had some little discussion the pearls were evidently of great value and he was averse to part with them for between friends my brother was himself a little inclined to my father s fault he thought too that if we parted with the it might give rise to gossip and finally bring us into trouble it was all that i could do to persuade him to let me find out miss s address and send her a detached pearl at fixed intervals so that at she might never feel destitute the story of the bald headed man it was a kindly thought said our companion earnestly it was extremely good of you the little man waved his hand we were your he said that was the view which i took of it though brother could not altogether see it in that light we had plenty of money ourselves i desired no more besides it would have been such bad taste to have treated a young lady in so a fashion le au crime the french have a very neat way of putting these things our difference of opinion on this subject went so far that i thought it best to set up rooms for myself so i left lodge taking the old and with me yesterday however i learn that an event of extreme importance has occurred the treasure has been discovered i instantly the sign of four communicated with miss and it only remains for us to drive out to and demand our share i explained my views last night to brother so we shall be expected if not welcome visitors mr ceased and sat on his luxurious we all remained silent with our thoughts upon the new development which the mysterious business had taken was the first to spring to his feet you have done well sir from first to last said he it is possible that we may be able to make you some small return by throwing some light upon that which is still dark to you but as miss remarked just now it is late and we had best put the matter through without delay our new acquaintance very deliberately up the of his and produced from behind a curtain a very long the story of the bald headed man with collar and this he tightly up in spite of the extreme of the night and finished his attire by putting on a cap with hanging which covered the ears so that no part of him was visible save his and face my health is somewhat fragile he remarked as he led the way down the passage i am compelled to be a our cab was awaiting us outside and our programme was evidently for the driver started off at once at a rapid pace talked incessantly in a voice which rose high above the rattle of the wheels is a clever fellow said he how do you think he found out where the treasure was he had come to the conclusion that it was somewhere indoors so he worked out all the space of the r f the sign of four house and made everywhere so that not one inch should be for among other things he found that the height of the building was seventy four feet but on adding together the heights of all the separate rooms and making every allowance for the space between which he ascertained by he could not bring the total to more than seventy feet there were four feet for these could only be at the top of the building he knocked a hole therefore in the and plaster ceiling of the highest room and there sure enough he came upon another little garret above it which had been sealed up and was known to no one in the centre stood the treasure chest resting upon two he lowered it through the hole and there it lies he the value of the jewels at not less than half a million sterling i the story of the bald headed man at the mention of this gigantic sum we all stared at one another open eyed miss could we secure her rights would change from a to the richest in england surely it was the place of a loyal friend to rejoice at such news yet i am ashamed to say that selfishness took me by the soul and that my heart turned as heavy as lead within me i stammered out some few halting words of and then sat downcast with my head drooped deaf to the of our new acquaintance he was clearly a confirmed and i was conscious that he was pouring forth interminable trains of symptoms and imploring information as to the composition and action of innumerable some of which he bore about in a leather case in his pocket i trust that he may not remember any of the answers which i gave him that night o the sign of four declares that he overheard me 