hecried。”ThemanpervadesLondon，andnoonehasheardofhim。That’swhatputshimonapinnacleintherecordsofcrime。Itellyou，Watson，inallseriousness，thatifIcouldbeatthatman，ifIcouldfreesocietyofhim，Ishouldfeelthatmyowncareerhadreacheditssummit，andIshouldbepreparedtoturntosomemoreplacidlineinlife。Betweenourselves，therecentcasesinwhichIhavebeenofassistancetotheroyalfamilyofScandinavia，andtotheFrenchrepublic，haveleftmeinsuchapositionthatIcouldcontinuetoliveinthequietfashionwhichismostcongenialtome，andtoconcentratemyattentionuponmychemicalresearches。ButIcouldnotrest，Watson，Icouldnotsitquietinmychair，ifIthoughtthatsuchamanasProfessorMoriartywerewalkingthestreetsofLondonunchallenged。””Whathashedone，then?””Hiscareerhasbeenanextraordinaryone。Heisamanofgoodbirthandexcellenteducation，endowedbynaturewithaphenomenalmathematicalfaculty。Attheageoftwenty-onehewroteatreatiseupontheBinomialTheorem，whichhashadaEuropeanvogue。OnthestrengthofithewontheMathematicalChairatoneofoursmalleruniversities，andhad，toallappearance，amostbrilliantcareerbeforehim。Butthemanhadhereditarytendenciesofthemostdiabolicalkind。Acriminalstrainraninhisblood，which，insteadofbeingmodified，wasincreasedandrenderedinfinitelymoredangerousbyhisextraordinarymentalpowers。Darkrumorsgatheredroundhimintheuniversitytown，andeventuallyhewascompelledtoresignhischairandtocomedowntoLondon，wherehesetupasanarmycoach。Somuchisknowntotheworld，butwhatIamtellingyounowiswhatIhavemyselfdiscovered。”Asyouareaware，Watson，thereisnoonewhoknowsthehighercriminalworldofLondonsowellasIdo。
ForyearspastIhavecontinuallybeenconsciousofsomepowerbehindthemalefactor，somedeeporganizingpowerwhichforeverstandsinthewayofthelaw，andthrowsitshieldoverthewrong-doer。Againandagainincasesofthemostvaryingsorts——forgerycases，robberies，murders——Ihavefeltthepresenceofthisforce，andIhavededuceditsactioninmanyofthoseundiscoveredcrimesinwhichIhavenotbeenpersonallyconsulted。ForyearsIhaveendeavoredtobreakthroughtheveilwhichshroudedit，andatlastthetimecamewhenIseizedmythreadandfollowedit，untilitledme，afterathousandcunningwindings，toex-ProfessorMoriartyofmathematicalcelebrity。
HeistheNapoleonofcrime，Watson。Heistheorganizerofhalfthatisevilandofnearlyallthatisundetectedinthisgreatcity。Heisagenius，aphilosopher，anabstractthinker。Hehasabrainofthefirstorder。Hesitsmotionless，likeaspiderinthecenterofitsweb，butthatwebhasathousandradiations，andheknowswelleveryquiverofeachofthem。Hedoeslittlehimself。Heonlyplans。Buthisagentsarenumerousandsplendidlyorganized。Isthereacrimetobedone，apapertobeabstracted，wewillsay，ahousetoberifled，amantoberemoved——thewordispassedtotheProfessor，thematterisorganizedandcarriedout。Theagentmaybecaught。Inthatcasemoneyisfoundforhisbailorhisdefence。Butthecentralpowerwhichusestheagentisnevercaught——neversomuchassuspected。
ThiswastheorganizationwhichIdeduced，Watson，andwhichIdevotedmywholeenergytoexposingandbreakingup。”ButtheProfessorwasfencedroundwithsafeguardssocunninglydevisedthat，dowhatIwould，itseemedimpossibletogetevidencewhichwouldconvictinacourtoflaw。Youknowmypowers，mydearWatson，andyetattheendofthreemonthsIwasforcedtoconfessthatIhadatlastmetanantagonistwhowasmyintellectualequal。Myhorrorathiscrimeswaslostinmyadmirationathisskill。Butatlasthemadeatrip——onlyalittle，littletrip——butitwasmorethanhecouldaffordwhenIwassocloseuponhim。Ihadmychance，and，startingfromthatpoint，Ihavewovenmynetroundhimuntilnowitisallreadytoclose。
Inthreedays——thatistosay，onMondaynext——matterswillberipe，andtheProfessor，withalltheprincipalmembersofhisgang，willbeinthehandsofthepolice。Thenwillcomethegreatestcriminaltrialofthecentury，theclearingupofoverfortymysteries，andtheropeforallofthem；butifwemoveatallprematurely，youunderstand，theymayslipoutofourhandsevenatthelastmoment。”Now，ifIcouldhavedonethiswithouttheknowledgeofProfessorMoriarty，allwouldhavebeenwell。Buthewastoowilyforthat。HesaweverystepwhichI