The Yellow Face

           Inpublishingtheseshortsketchesbaseduponthenumerouscasesinwhichmycompanion’ssingulargiftshavemadeusthelistenersto,andeventuallytheactorsin,somestrangedrama,itisonlynaturalthatIshoulddwellratheruponhissuccessesthanuponhisfailures.Andthisnotsomuchforthesakeofhisreputation—for,indeed,itwaswhenhewasathiswit’sendthathisenergyandhisversatilityweremostadmirable—butbecausewherehefailedithappenedtoooftenthatnooneelsesucceeded,andthatthetalewasleftforeverwithoutaconclusion.Nowandagain,however,itchancedthatevenwhenheerredthetruthwasstilldiscovered.Ihavenotesofsomehalf-dozencasesofthekind,theadventureoftheMusgraveRitualandthatwhichIamabouttorecountarethetwowhichpresentthestrongestfeaturesofinterest.

           SherlockHolmeswasamanwhoseldomtookexerciseforexercise’ssake.Fewmenwerecapableofgreatermusculareffort,andhewasundoubtedlyoneofthefinestboxersofhisweightthatIhaveeverseen;buthelookeduponaimlessbodilyexertionasawasteofenergy,andheseldombestirredhimselfsavewheretherewassomeprofessionalobjecttobeserved.Thenhewasabsolutelyuntiringandindefatigable.Thatheshouldhavekepthimselfintrainingundersuchcircumstancesisremarkable,buthisdietwasusuallyofthesparest,andhishabitsweresimpletothevergeofausterity.