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"But with no very good result," I remarked. "His conduct was

certainly not very gracious."

"Ah, Watson," said Holmes, smiling, "perhaps you would not be

very gracious either, if, after all the trouble of wooing and

wedding, you found yourself deprived in an instant of wife and of

fortune. I think that we may judge Lord St. Simon very mercifully

and thank our stars that we are never likely to find ourselves in

the same position. Draw your chair up and hand me my violin, for

the only problem we have still to solve is how to while away

these bleak autumnal evenings."

XI. THE ADVENTURE OF THE BERYL CORONET

"Holmes," said I as I stood one morning in our bow-window looking

down the street, "here is a madman coming along. It seems rather

sad that his relatives should allow him to come out alone."