The Press., 1895-04-25
THE SIGN OF THE FOUR.
By A. CONAN DOYLE.
CHA PTER |

Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantelpiece and his hy podermic syringe from its neat morocco case With his long white, nervous fin gers he adjusted the delicate needle and rolled back his left shirt cuff. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy forearm and wrist all dotted and scared with innumerable puncture marks Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston and sank back into the velvet lined armchair with long sigh of satisfaction. Three times a day for many months had witnessed this performance, but GUS tom had not reconciled my mind to it On the contrary, from day to day l had become more irritable at the sight, and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the thought that l had lacked the cour, age to protest Again and again l had registered a VOW that l should deliver my soul upon the subject, but there was that in the cool nonchalant air of my compan ion which made him the last man with whom one would care to take anything approaching to liberty His great pow CTS his masterly manner and the expe- rience which had had of his many ex, traoTdinary qualities. all made me diff dent and backward in crossing him
 Yet upon that afternoon, whether it was the Beaune which had taken with my lunch or the additional exasperation produced by the extreme deliberation of hls manner. l suddenly felt that l could hold out no longer
 (Which Is it today. 1 asked. ''mor phine or cocaine?'
 He raised his eyes languidly from the old black letter volume which he had opened It is cocaine. " he said, "a per cent solution Would you care to try it?''
 No indeed, I answered brusquely My constitution has not got over the Afghan campaign yet l cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it.
 He smiled at my vehemence Perhaps yon are right, Watson, he said II sup pose that its influence is physically bad one find it. however. so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment
 But consider" 1 said earnestly Count the cost Your brain may, as you say, be reused and excited, but it is a pathological and morbid process which in wolves increased tissue change and may at last leave permanent weakness You know. too what a black reaction comes
 
 worth the candle Why should you, for mere passing pleasure, risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed? Remember that l speak not only as one cOmrade to another, but as medical man to one for whose consti tuition he is to some extent answerable. "
 He did not seem offended On the con trary, he put his finger tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair like one who has relish for conversation My mind. he said, rebels at Stagna tion Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and 1 am in my own proper atmosphere l can dis pense then with artificial stimulants But abhor the dull routine of existence, crave for mental exaltation That is why 1 have chosen my own particular profes- sion or rather created it, for am the only one in the world >
 The only unofficial detective?' said, raising my eyebrows