Doyle - The Valley of Fear, Arthur Conan Doyle
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The Valley of Fear
Doyle, Arthur Conan
Published:
1915
Type(s):
Novels, Crime/Mystery
Source:
Wikisource
1
About Doyle:
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a
Scottish author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock
Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field
of crime fiction, and the adventures of Professor Challenger. He was a
prolific writer whose other works include science fiction stories, historic-
al novels, plays and romances, poetry, and non-fiction.
Conan was originally a given name, but Doyle used it as part of his
surname in his later years.
Source: Wikipedia
Also available on Feedbooks for Doyle:
•
(1892)
•
(1893)
•
(1923)
•
(1905)
•
(1912)
•
(1902)
•
(1887)
•
(1890)
•
(1917)
•
(1928)
Copyright:
This work is available for countries where copyright is
Life+70.
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ans après mort de l'auteur.
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2
Part 1
The Tragedy of Birlstone
3
Chapter
1
The Warning
"I am inclined to think—" said I.
"I should do so," Sherlock Holmes remarked impatiently.
I believe that I am one of the most long-suffering of mortals; but I'll ad-
mit that I was annoyed at the sardonic interruption. "Really, Holmes,"
said I severely, "you are a little trying at times."
He was too much absorbed with his own thoughts to give any imme-
diate answer to my remonstrance. He leaned upon his hand, with his un-
tasted breakfast before him, and he stared at the slip of paper which he
had just drawn from its envelope. Then he took the envelope itself, held
it up to the light, and very carefully studied both the exterior and the
flap.
"It is Porlock's writing," said he thoughtfully. "I can hardly doubt that
it is Porlock's writing, though I have seen it only twice before. The Greek
e with the peculiar top flourish is distinctive. But if it is Porlock, then it
must be something of the very first importance."
He was speaking to himself rather than to me; but my vexation disap-
peared in the interest which the words awakened.
"Who then is Porlock?" I asked.
"Porlock, Watson, is a nom-de-plume, a mere identification mark; but
behind it lies a shifty and evasive personality. In a former letter he
frankly informed me that the name was not his own, and defied me ever
to trace him among the teeming millions of this great city. Porlock is im-
portant, not for himself, but for the great man with whom he is in touch.
Picture to yourself the pilot fish with the shark, the jackal with the li-
on—anything that is insignificant in companionship with what is for-
midable: not only formidable, Watson, but sinister—in the highest de-
gree sinister. That is where he comes within my purview. You have
heard me speak of Professor Moriarty?"
"The famous scientific criminal, as famous among crooks as—"
4
"My blushes, Watson!" Holmes murmured in a deprecating voice.
"I was about to say, as he is unknown to the public."
"A touch! A distinct touch!" cried Holmes. "You are developing a cer-
tain unexpected vein of pawky humour, Watson, against which I must
learn to guard myself. But in calling Moriarty a criminal you are uttering
libel in the eyes of the law—and there lie the glory and the wonder of it!
The greatest schemer of all time, the organizer of every deviltry, the con-
trolling brain of the underworld, a brain which might have made or
marred the destiny of nations—that's the man! But so aloof is he from
general suspicion, so immune from criticism, so admirable in his man-
agement and self-effacement, that for those very words that you have
uttered he could hale you to a court and emerge with your year's pen-
sion as a solatium for his wounded character. Is he not the celebrated au-
thor of The Dynamics of an Asteroid, a book which ascends to such rar-
efied heights of pure mathematics that it is said that there was no man in
the scientific press capable of criticizing it? Is this a man to traduce?
Foul-mouthed doctor and slandered professor—such would be your re-
spective roles! That's genius, Watson. But if I am spared by lesser men,
our day will surely come."
"May I be there to see!" I exclaimed devoutly. "But you were speaking
of this man Porlock."
"Ah, yes—the so-called Porlock is a link in the chain some little way
from its great attachment. Porlock is not quite a sound link—between
ourselves. He is the only flaw in that chain so far as I have been able to
test it."
"But no chain is stronger than its weakest link."
"Exactly, my dear Watson! Hence the extreme importance of Porlock.
Led on by some rudimentary aspirations towards right, and encouraged
by the judicious stimulation of an occasional ten-pound note sent to him
by devious methods, he has once or twice given me advance information
which has been of value—that highest value which anticipates and pre-
vents rather than avenges crime. I cannot doubt that, if we had the
cipher, we should find that this communication is of the nature that I
indicate."
Again Holmes flattened out the paper upon his unused plate. I rose
and, leaning over him, stared down at the curious inscription, which ran
as follows:
534 C2 13 127 36 31 4 17 21 41 DOUGLAS 109 293 5 37 BIRLSTONE 26
5
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