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At the time the circumstances made a deep impression upon me, and

the lapse of two years has hardly served to weaken the effect.

It was in the summer of '89, not long after my marriage, that the

events occurred which I am now about to summarise. I had returned

to civil practice and had finally abandoned Holmes in his Baker

Street rooms, although I continually visited him and occasionally

even persuaded him to forgo his Bohemian habits so far as to come

and visit us. My practice had steadily increased, and as I

happened to live at no very great distance from Paddington

Station, I got a few patients from among the officials. One of

these, whom I had cured of a painful and lingering disease, was

never weary of advertising my virtues and of endeavouring to send

me on every sufferer over whom he might have any influence.