II. -- The Adventure of the Norwood Builder.

"FROM the point of view of the criminal expert," said Mr.

Sherlock Holmes, "London has become a singularly uninteresting

city since the death of the late lamented Professor Moriarty."

"I can hardly think that you would find many decent citizens

to agree with you," I answered.

"Well, well, I must not be selfish," said he, with a smile,

as he pushed back his chair from the breakfast-table.

"The community is certainly the gainer, and no one the loser,

save the poor out-of-work specialist, whose occupation has gone.

With that man in the field one's morning paper presented

infinite possibilities. Often it was only the smallest trace,

Watson, the faintest indication, and yet it was enough to tell

me that the great malignant brain was there, as the gentlest

tremors of the edges of the web remind one of the foul spider

25.08.2007