〃The　indications　are　ruined　by　three　days'　delay。 They　may　mean

something　or　nothing。 Well；　Watson；　I　do　not　think　that　Woolwich

can　help　us　further。 It　is　a　small　crop　which　we　have　gathered。

Let　us　see　if　we　can　do　better　in　London。〃

Yet　we　added　one　more　sheaf　to　our　harvest　before　we　left

Woolwich　Station。 The　clerk　in　the　ticket　office　was　able　to　say

with　confidence　that　he　saw　Cadogan　West……whom　he　knew　well　by

sight……upon　the　Monday　night；　and　that　he　went　to　London　by　the

8：15　to　London　Bridge。 He　was　alone　and　took　a　single　third…

class　ticket。 The　clerk　was　struck　at　the　time　by　his　excited

and　nervous　manner。 So　shaky　was　he　that　he　could　hardly　pick　up

his　change；　and　the　clerk　had　helped　him　with　it。 A　reference　to

the　timetable　showed　that　the　8：15　was　the　first　train　which　it

was　possible　for　West　to　take　after　he　had　left　the　lady　about

7：30。

〃Let　us　reconstruct；　Watson；〃　said　Holmes　after　half　an　hour　of

silence。 〃I　am　not　aware　that　in　all　our　joint　researches　we

have　ever　had　a　case　which　was　more　difficult　to　get　at。 Every

fresh　advance　which　we　make　only　reveals　a　fresh　ridge　beyond。

And　yet　we　have　surely　made　some　appreciable　progress。

〃The　effect　of　our　inquiries　at　Woolwich　has　in　the　main　been

against　young　Cadogan　West；　but　the　indications　at　the　window

would　lend　themselves　to　a　more　favourable　hypothesis。 Let　us

suppose；　for　example；　that　he　had　been　approached　by　some　foreign

agent。 It　might　have　been　done　under　such　pledges　as　would　have

prevented　him　from　speaking　of　it；　and　yet　would　have　affected

his　thoughts　in　the　direction　indicated　by　his