Sherlock Holmes preserved his calm professional manner until our

visitor had left us, although it was easy for me, who knew him

so well, to see that he was profoundly excited. The moment that

Hilton Cubitt's broad back had disappeared through the door my

comrade rushed to the table, laid out all the slips of paper

containing dancing men in front of him, and threw himself into

an intricate and elaborate calculation. For two hours I watched

him as he covered sheet after sheet of paper with figures and

letters, so completely absorbed in his task that he had

evidently forgotten my presence. Sometimes he was making

progress and whistled and sang at his work; sometimes he was

puzzled, and would sit for long spells with a furrowed brow and

a vacant eye. Finally he sprang from his chair with a cry of

satisfaction, and walked up and down the room rubbing his hands

together. Then he wrote a long telegram upon a cable form. "If

my answer to this is as I hope, you will have a very pretty case

to add to your collection, Watson," said he. "I expect that we

shall be able to go down to Norfolk to-morrow, and to take our

friend some very definite news as to the secret of his annoyance."

07.09.2007