”Hum！IamafraidJoseph’scharacterisaratherdeeperandmoredangerousonethanonemightjudgefromhisappearance。FromwhatIhaveheardfromhimthismorning，Igatherthathehaslostheavilyindabblingwithstocks，andthatheisreadytodoanythingonearthtobetterhisfortunes。Beinganabsolutelyselfishman，whenachancepresenteditselfhedidnotalloweitherhissister’shappinessoryourreputationtoholdhishand。”PercyPhelpssankbackinhischair。”Myheadwhirls，”saidhe。”Yourwordshavedazedme。””Theprincipaldifficultyinyourcase，”remarkedHolmes，inhisdidacticfashion，”layinthefactoftherebeingtoomuchevidence。Whatwasvitalwasoverlaidandhiddenbywhatwasirrelevant。Ofallthefactswhichwerepresentedtouswehadtopickjustthosewhichwedeemedtobeessential，andthenpiecethemtogetherintheirorder，soastoreconstructthisveryremarkablechainofevents。I
hadalreadybeguntosuspectJoseph，fromthefactthatyouhadintendedtotravelhomewithhimthatnight，andthatthereforeitwasalikelyenoughthingthatheshouldcallforyou，knowingtheForeignOfficewell，uponhisway。WhenIheardthatsomeonehadbeensoanxioustogetintothebedroom，inwhichnoonebutJosephcouldhaveconcealedanything——youtoldusinyournarrativehowyouhadturnedJosephoutwhenyouarrivedwiththedoctor——mysuspicionsallchangedtocertainties，especiallyastheattemptwasmadeonthefirstnightuponwhichthenursewasabsent，showingthattheintruderwaswellacquaintedwiththewaysofthehouse。””HowblindIhavebeen！””Thefactsofthecase，asfarasIhaveworkedthemout，arethese：thisJosephHarrisonenteredtheofficethroughtheCharlesStreetdoor，andknowinghiswayhewalkedstraightintoyourroomtheinstantafteryouleftit。Findingnoonetherehepromptlyrangthebell，andattheinstantthathedidsohiseyescaughtthepaperuponthetable。AglanceshowedhimthatchancehadputinhiswayaStatedocumentofimmensevalue，andinaninstanthehadthrustitintohispocketandwasgone。Afewminuteselapsed，asyouremember，beforethesleepycommissionnairedrewyourattentiontothebell，andthosewerejustenoughtogivethethieftimetomakehisescape。”HemadehiswaytoWokingbythefirsttrain，andhavingexaminedhisbootyandassuredhimselfthatitreallywasofimmensevalue，hehadconcealeditinwhathethoughtwasaverysafeplace，withtheintentionoftakingitoutagaininadayortwo，andcarryingittotheFrenchembassy，orwhereverhethoughtthatalongpricewastobehad。Thencameyoursuddenreturn。He，withoutamoment’swarning，wasbundledoutofhisroom，andfromthattimeonwardtherewerealwaysatleasttwoofyoutheretopreventhimfromregaininghistreasure。Thesituationtohimmusthavebeenamaddeningone。Butatlasthethoughthesawhischance。Hetriedtostealin，butwasbaffledbyyourwakefulness。Yourememberthatyoudidnottakeyourusualdraughtthatnight。””Iremember。””Ifancythathehadtakenstepstomakethatdraughtefficacious，andthathequiterelieduponyourbeingunconscious。Ofcourse，Iunderstoodthathewouldrepeattheattemptwheneveritcouldbedonewithsafety。Yourleavingtheroomgavehimthechancehewanted。IkeptMissHarrisoninitalldaysothathemightnotanticipateus。Then，havinggivenhimtheideathatthecoastwasclear，IkeptguardasIhavedescribed。Ialreadyknewthatthepaperswereprobablyintheroom，butIhadnodesiretoripupalltheplankingandskirtinginsearchofthem。I
lethimtakethem，therefore，fromthehiding-place，andsosavedmyselfaninfinityoftrouble。IsthereanyotherpointwhichIcanmakeclear?””Whydidhetrythewindowonthefirstoccasion，”I
asked，”whenhemighthaveenteredbythedoor?””Inreachingthedoorhewouldhavetopasssevenbedrooms。Ontheotherhand，hecouldgetoutontothelawnwithease。Anythingelse?””Youdonotthink，”askedPhelps，”thathehadanymurderousintention?Theknifewasonlymeantasatool。””Itmaybeso，”answeredHolmes，shrugginghisshoulders。”IcanonlysayforcertainthatMr。
JosephHarrisonisagentlemantowhosemercyIshouldbeextremelyunwillingtotrust。”