"On the contrary, he has done quite remarkably well," said
Holmes. "When you search a single column for words with which to
express your meaning, you can hardly expect to get everything you
want. You are bound to leave something to the intelligence of
your correspondent. The purport is perfectly clear. Some
deviltry is intended against one Douglas, whoever he may be,
residing as stated, a rich country gentleman. He is
sure--'confidence' was as near as he could get to
'confident'--that it is pressing. There is our result--and a
very workmanlike little bit of analysis it was!"
Holmes had the impersonal joy of the true artist in his better
work, even as he mourned darkly when it fell below the high level
to which he aspired. He was still chuckling over his success
when Billy swung open the door and Inspector MacDonald of
Scotland Yard was ushered into the room.
Those were the early days at the end of the '80's, when Alec
MacDonald was far from having attained the national fame which he
has now achieved. He was a young but trusted member of the
detective force, who had distinguished himself in several cases
which had been intrusted to him.
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