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SHERLOCK HOLMES
THE MUSGRAVE RITUAL
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
An anomaly which often struck me in the character of my friend
Sherlock Holmes was that； although in his methods of thought he was
the neatest and most methodical of mankind； and although also he
affected a certain quiet primness of dress； he was nonetheless in
his personal habits one of the most untidy men that ever drove a
fellow…lodger to distraction。 Not that I am in the least
conventional in that respect myself。 The rough…and…tumble work in
Afghanistan； coming on the top of natural Bohemianism of
disposition； has made me rather more lax than befits a medical man。
But with me there is a limit； and when I find a man who keeps his
cigars in the coal…scuttle； his tobacco in the toe end of a Persian
slipper； and his unanswered correspondence transfixed by a
jack…knife into the very centre of his wooden mantelpiece； then I
begin to give myself virtuous airs。 I have always held； too； that
pistol practice should be distinctly an open…air pastime； and when
Holmes； in one of his queer humours； would sit in an armchair with his
hair…trigger and a hundred Boxer cartridges and proceed to adorn the
opposite wall with a patriotic V。 R。 done in bullet…pocks； I felt
strongly that neither the atmosphere nor the appearance of our room
was improved by it。
Our chambers were always full of chemicals and of criminal relics
which had a way of wandering into unlikely positions； and of turning
up in the butter…dish or in even less desirable places。 But his papers
were my great crux。 He had a horror of destroying documents；
especially those which were connected with his past cases； and yet
it was only once in every year or two that he would muster energy to
docket and arrange them； for； as I have mentioned somewhere in these
incoherent memoirs； the outbursts of passionate energy when he
performed the remarkable feats with which his name is associated
were followed by reactions of lethargy during which he would lie about
with his violin and his books； hardly moving save from the sofa to the
table。 Thus month after month his papers accumulated until every
corner of the room was stacked with bundles of manuscript which were
on no account to be burned； and which could not be put away save by
their owner。 One winter's night； as we sat together by the fire； I
ventured to suggest to him that； as he had finished pasting extracts
into his commonplace book； he might employ the next two hours in
making our room a little more habitable。 He could not deny the justice
of my request； so with a rather rueful face he went off to his
bedroom； from which he returned presently pulling a large tin box
behind him。 This he placed in the middle of the floor； and；
squatting down upon a stool in front of it； he threw back the lid。 I
could see that it was already a third full of bundles of paper tied up
with red tape into separate packages。
〃There are cases enough here； Watson；〃 said he； looking at me with
mischievous eyes。 〃I think that if you knew all that I had in this box
you would ask me to pull some out instead of putting others in。〃
〃These are the records of your early work； then？〃 I asked。 〃I have
often wished that I had notes of those cases。〃
〃Yes； my boy； these were all done prematurely before my biographer
had come to glorify me。〃 He lifted bundle after bundle in a tender；
caressing sort of way。
〃They are not all successes； Watson；〃 said he。 〃But there are some
pretty little problems among them。 Here's the record of the Tarleton
murders； and the case of Vamberry； the wine merchant； and the
adventure of the old Russian woman； and the singular affair of the
aluminum crutch； as well as a full account of Ricoletti of the
club…foot； and his abominable wife。 And here…ah； now； this really is
something a little recherche。〃
He dived his arm down to the bottom of the chest and brought up a
small wooden box with a sliding lid such as children's toys are kept
in。 From within he produced a crumpled piece of paper； an
old…fashioned brass key； a peg of wood with a ball of string
attached to it； and three rusty old discs of metal。
〃Well； my boy； what do you make of this lot？〃 he asked； smiling at
my expression。
〃It is a curious collection。〃
〃Very curious； and the story that hangs round it will strike you
as being more curious still。〃
〃These relics have a history； then？〃
〃So much so that they are history。〃
〃What do you mean by that？〃
Sherlock Holmes picked them up one by one and laid them along the
edge of the table。 Then he reseated himself in his chair and looked
them over with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes。
〃These；〃 said he； 〃are all that I have left to remind me of the
adventure of the Musgrave Ritual。〃
I had heard him mention the case more than once； though I had
never been able to gather the details。 〃I should be so glad；〃 said
I； 〃if you would give me an account of it。〃
〃And leave the litter as it is？〃 he cried mischievously。 〃Your
tidiness won't bear much strain； after all； Watson。 But I should be
glad that you should add this case to your annals； for there are
points in it which make it quite unique in the criminal records of
this or； I believe； of any other country。 A collection of my
trifling achievements would certainly be incomplete which contained no
account of this very singular business。
〃You may remember how the affair of the Gloria Scott； and my
conversation with the unhappy man whose fate I told you of； first
turned my attention in the direction of the profession which has
become my life's work。 You see me now when my charge has become
known far and wide； and when I am generally recognized both by the
public and by the official force as being a final court of appeal in
doubtful cases。 Even when you knew me first； at the time of the affair
which you have commemorated in 'A Study in Scarlet；' I had already
established a considerable； though not a very lucrative； connection。
You can hardly realize； then； how difficult I found it at first； and
how long I had to wait before I succeeded in making any headway。
〃When I first came up to London I had rooms in Montague Street； just
round the corner from the British Museum； and there I waited；
filling in my too abundant leisure time by studying all those branches
of science which might make me more efficient。 Now and again cases
came in my way； principally through the introduction of old
fellow…students； for during my last years at the university there
was a good deal of talk there about myself and my methods。 The third
of these cases was that of the Musgrave Ritual； and it is to the
interest which was aroused by that singular chain of events； and the
large issues which proved to be at stake； that I trace my first stride
towards the position which I now hold。
〃Reginald Musgrave had been in the same college as myself； and I had
some slight acquaintance with him。 He was not generally popular
among the undergraduates； though it always seemed to me that what
was set down as pride was really an attempt to cover extreme natural
diffidence。 In appearance he was a man of an exceedingly
aristocratic type； thin； high…nosed； and large…eyed； with languid
and yet courtly manners。 He was indeed a scion of one of the very
oldest families in the kingdom； though his branch was a cadet one
which had separated from the northern Musgraves some time in the
sixteenth century and had established itself in western Sussex；
where the Manor House of Hurlstone is perhaps the oldest inhabited
building in the county。 Something of his birth…place seemed to cling
to the man； and I never looked at his pale； keen face or the poise
of his head without associating him with gray archways and mullioned
windows and all the venerable wreckage of a feudal keep。 Once or twice
we drifted into talk； and I can remember that more than once he
expressed a keen interest in my methods of observation and inference。
〃For four year