Now, Watson, I won't detain you fromyour legitimate work any longer. I shall do nothing more to-day, unless I have ananswer to my cab advertisement. But I should be extremely obliged to you if youwould come down with me to Woking to-morrow, by the same train which we tookto-day.'
　　I met him accordingly next morning, and we travelled down to Woking together.He had had no answer to his advertisement, he said, and no fresh light had beenthrown upon the case. He had, when he so willed it, the utter immobility ofcountenance of a Red Indian, and I could not gather from his appearance whether hewas satisfied or not with the position of the case. His conversation, I remember, wasabout the Bertillon system of measurements, and he expressed his enthusiasticadmiration of the French savant.
　　We found our client still under the charge of his devoted nurse, but lookingconsiderably better than before. He rose from the sofa and greeted us withoutdifficulty when we entered.
　　'Any news?' he asked, eagerly.
　　'My report, as I expected, is a negative one,' said Holmes. 'I have seen Forbes, andI have seen your uncle, and I have set one or two trains of inquiry upon foot whichmay lead to something.'
　　'You have not lost heart, then?'
　　'By no means.'
　　'God bless you for saying that!' cried Miss Harrison. 'If we keep our courage andour patience, the truth must come out.'
　　'We have more to tell you than you have for us,' said Phelps, re-seating him uponthe couch.
　　'I hoped you might have something.'
　　'Yes, we have had an adventure during the night, and one which might have provedto be a serious one.' His expression grew very grave as he spoke, and a look ofsomething akin to fear sprang up in his eyes. 'Do you know,' said he, 'that I begin tobelieve that I am the unconscious centre of some monstrous conspiracy, and that mylife is aimed at as well as my honour?'
　　'Ah!' cried Holmes.
　　'It sounds incredible, for I have not, as far as I know, an enemy in the world. Yetfrom last night's experience I can come to no other conclusion.'
　　'Pray let me hear it.'
　　'You must know that last night was the very first night that I have ever sleptwithout a nurse in the room. I was so much better that I thought I could dispense withone. I had a night-light burning, however. Well, about two in the morning I had sunkinto a light sleep, when I was suddenly aroused by a slight noise. It was like the soundwhich a mouse makes when it is gnawing a plank, and I lay listening to it for sometime under the impression that it must come from that cause. Then it grew louder, andsuddenly there came from the window a sharp metallic snick. I sat up in amazement.There could be no doubt what the sounds were now. The faint ones had been causedby someone forcing an instrument through the silt between the sashes, and the secondby the catch being pressed back.
　　'There was a pause then for about ten minutes, as if the person were waiting to seewhether the noise had awoken me. Then I heard a gentle creaking as the window wasvery slowly opened. I could stand it no longer, for my nerves are not what they usedto be. I sprang out of bed and flung open the shutter. A man was crouching at thewindow. I could see little of him, for he was gone like a flash. He was wrapped insome sort of cloak, which came across the lower part of his face. One thing only I amsure of, and that is that he had some weapon in his hand. It looked to me like a longknife. I distinctly saw the gleam of it as he turned to run.'
　　'This is most interesting,' said Holmes. 'Pray, what did you do then?'
　　'I should have followed him through the open window if I had been stronger. As itwas, I rang the bell and roused the house. It took me some little time, for the bell ringsin the kitchen, and the servants all sleep upstairs. I shouted, however, and that broughtJoseph down, and he roused the others. Joseph and the groom found marks on theflower-bed outside the window, but the weather has been so dry lately that they foundit hopeless to follow the trail across the grass. There's a place, however, on thewooden fence which skirts the road which shows signs, they tell me, as if someonehad got over and had snapped the top of the rail in doing so. I have said nothing to thelocal police yet, for I thought I had best have your opinion first.'
　　This tale of our client's appeared to have an extraordinary effect upon SherlockHolmes. He rose from his chair and paced about the room in uncontrollableexcitement.
　　'Misfortunes never come singly,' said Phelps, smiling, though it was evident thathis adventure had somewhat shaken him.
　　'You have certainly had your share,' said Holmes. 'Do you think you could walkround the house with me?'
　　'Oh, yes, I should like a little sunshine. Joseph will come too?'
　　'And I also,' said Miss Harrison.
　　'I am afraid not,' said Holmes, shaking his head. 'I think I must ask you to remainsitting exactly where you are.'
　　The young lady resumed her seat with an air of displeasure. Her brother, however,had joined us, and we set off all four together. We passed round the lawn to theoutside of the young diplomatist's window. There were, as he had said, marks uponthe flower-bed, but they were hopelessly blurred and vague. Holmes stooped overthem for an instant, and then rose, shrugging his shoulders.
　　'I don't think anyone could make much of this,' said he. 'Let us go round the houseand see why this particular room was chosen by the burglar. I should have thoughtthose larger windows of the drawing-room and dining-room would have had moreattractions for him.'
　　'They are more visible from the road,' suggested Mr. Joseph Harrison.
　　'Ah, yes, of course. There is a door here which he might have attempted. What is itfor?'
　　'It is the side-entrance for tradespeople. Of course, it is locked at night.'
　　'Have you ever had an alarm like this before?'
　　'Never,' said our client.
　　'Do you keep plate in the house, or anything to attract burglars?'
　　'Nothing of value.'
　　Holmes strolled round the house with his hands in his pockets, and a negligent airwhich was unusual with him.