He had spent the whole afternoon at
the Manor House in consultation with his two colleagues, and
returned about five with a ravenous appetite for a high tea which
I had ordered for him. "No confidences, Watson; for they are
mighty awkward if it comes to an arrest for conspiracy and
murder."
"You think it will come to that?"
He was in his most cheerful and debonair humour. "My dear
Watson, when I have exterminated that fourth egg I shall be ready
to put you in touch with the whole situation. I don't say that
we have fathomed it--far from it--but when we have traced the
missing dumb-bell--"
"The dumb-bell!"
"Dear me, Watson, is it possible that you have not penetrated the
fact that the case hangs upon the missing dumb-bell? Well, well,
you need not be downcast; for between ourselves I don't think
that either Inspector Mac or the excellent local practitioner has
grasped the overwhelming importance of this incident. One
dumb-bell, Watson! Consider an athlete with one dumb-bell!
Picture to yourself the unilateral development, the imminent
danger of a spinal curvature. Shocking, Watson, shocking!"
He sat with his mouth full of toast and his eyes sparkling with
mischief, watching my intellectual entanglement.
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