UN STUDIA EN SCARLATA
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Capitol 1: Sr Sherlock Holmes

PARTE PRIMA
Repriminte un estraeda de la recordas de
DR JOHN H. WATSON
membro pasada de la Departe Medical Militar

PART ONE
Being a reprint from the reminiscences of
JOHN H. WATSON MD
late of the Army Medical Department

1. Mr Sherlock Holmes

En la anio 1878, me ia prende mea diploma de dotor medical de la Universia de London, e ia vade plu a la Ospital de Netley per pasa tra la curso prescriveda per sirurjistes en la armada. Pos completi mea studias ala, me ia es formal ajuntada a la Rejimento Sinco, la Fusilores de Northumberland, como sirurjiste aidante. Esta ia ave alora sua posto en India, e ante cuando me ia pote membri, la Gera Afgani Du ia eruta. Aterante en Bombai, me ia es informada ce mea grupo ia avansa ja tra la colos de monte e es ja profonda en la tera de la enemi. Me ia segue, an tal, con multe otra ofisiores ci ia es en la mesma situa como me, e ia susede ateni Candahar en securia, do me ia trova mea rejimento e ia comensa direta mea taxes nova.

In the year 1878 I took my degree of doctor of medicine of the University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the army. Having completed my studies there, I was duly attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as assistant surgeon. The regiment was stationed in India at the time, and before I could join it the Second Afghan War had broken out. On landing at Bombay, I learned that my corps had advanced through the passes and was already deep in the enemy’s country. I followed, however, with many other officers who were in the same situation as myself, and succeeded in reaching Kandahar in safety, where I found my regiment and at once entered upon my new duties.

La campania militar ia trae onoras e altis de grado a multes, ma per me lo ia ave sola mal fortuna e desastre. Me ia es estraeda de mea brigada e ajuntada a la Rejimento de Berkshire, con ci me ia servi a la batalia destruosa de Maiwand. Ala, me ia es colpada a la spala par un baleta de jezail, cual ia frati la oso e ia tanje la arteria suclaviculal. Me ia ta cade su la manos de la gazis ferose sin la esiste de la dedica e coraje mostrada par Murray, mea aidor personal, ci ia lansa me a traversa de un cavalo de carga e ia susede secur trae me asta la linias brites.

The campaign brought honours and promotion to many, but for me it had nothing but misfortune and disaster. I was removed from my brigade and attached to the Berkshires, with whom I served at the fatal battle of Maiwand. There I was struck on the shoulder by a Jezail bullet, which shattered the bone and grazed the subclavian artery. I should have fallen into the hands of the murderous Ghazis had it not been for the devotion and courage shown by Murray, my orderly, who threw me across a packhorse and succeeded in bringing me safely to the British lines.

Gastada par dole e debil pos la descomfortas longida cual me ia esperia, me ia es moveda, con un convoia grande de sufrores ferida, a la ospital de base a Peshawar. Asi me ia comensa recovre, e ia boni ja tan multe ce me ia es capas de pasea entre la salas e an de pigri alga sur la veranda, cuando me ia es subita maladida par tifoide, acel febre maldiseda de nosa posesedas indian. Tra menses on ia despera mea vive, e cuando final me ia reconsensi e ia deveni saninte, me ia es tan debil e magrida ce un comite medical ia determina ce on va perde no dias ante reenvia me a England. Donce me ia es transportada en la Oronte, un barcon de soldatos, e ia atera pos un mense a la molo de Portsmouth, con mea sania nonreganiable ruinada ma con permete de un governa padrin a spende la nove menses seguente en atenta boni lo.

Worn with pain, and weak from the prolonged hardships which I had undergone, I was removed, with a great train of wounded sufferers, to the base hospital at Peshawar. Here I rallied, and had already improved so far as to be able to walk about the wards, and even to bask a little upon the verandah, when I was struck down by enteric fever, that curse of our Indian possessions. For months my life was despaired of, and when at last I came to myself and became convalescent, I was so weak and emaciated that a medical board determined that not a day should be lost in sending me back to England. I was despatched, accordingly, in the troopship Orontes, and landed a month later on Portsmouth jetty, with my health irretrievably ruined but with permission from a paternal government to spend the next nine months in attempting to improve it.

Me ia ave no amis e no relatadas en England, e ia es donce tan libre como aira — o tan libre como on permete a un om con revenu de des-un xilinges e un dui per dia. En tal situa, me ia dirije natural me a London, acel cloaca grande a cual tota la pigras e pantoflores de la Impero es nonresistable drenada. Ala, me ia reposa tra alga tempo a un otel privata en la strada Strand, esperiante un esiste sin comforta e sinifia, e spendente la poca mone cual me ia ave en modo notable plu libre ca me ia debe. La state de mea finansia ia deveni tan alarmante ce pos corta me ia comprende ce me debe o parti de la urbe e stania en alga loca campanial, o fa un altera completa en mea stilo de vive. Elejente la posible du, me ia comensa par deside parti de la otel e adota un abiteria en alga adirije min grandiosa e min custosa.

I had neither kith nor kin in England, and was therefore as free as air — or as free as an income of eleven shillings and sixpence a day will permit a man to be. Under such circumstances I naturally gravitated to London, that great cesspool into which all the loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained. There I stayed for some time at a private hotel in the Strand, leading a comfortless, meaningless existence, and spending such money as I had considerably more freely than I ought. So alarming did the state of my finances become that I soon realised that I must either leave the metropolis and rusticate somewhere in the country, or that I must make a complete alteration in my style of living. Choosing the latter alternative, I began by making up my mind to leave the hotel and to take up my quarters in some less pretentious and less expensive domicile.

A la dia mesma cuando me ia veni a esta conclui, me ia sta a la bar de la Restorante Criterion cuando algun ia colpeta mea spala e, turnante, me ia reconose Stamford, un om joven ci ia es un aidor sirurjial su me a la Ospital de San Bartolomeo. La vide de un fas amin en la savajeria grande de London es un cosa serta plasente a un om solitar. En dias vea, Stamford ia es nunca entre mea cameradas spesial prosima, ma aora me ia saluta el con zelo, e, resiproca, el ia pare deletada par vide me. Stimulada par mea joia, me ia demanda ce el come con me a la Restorante Holborn, e ambos de nos ia embarca un taxi-caro.

On the very day that I had come to this conclusion, I was standing at the Criterion Bar when someone tapped me on the shoulder and, turning round, I recognised young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Barts. The sight of a friendly face in the great wilderness of London is a pleasant thing indeed to a lonely man. In old days Stamford had never been a particular crony of mine, but now I hailed him with enthusiasm, and he, in his turn, appeared to be delighted to see me. In the exuberance of my joy, I asked him to lunch with me at the Holborn, and we started off together in a hansom.

“Cua de mundo ia aveni a tu, Watson?” el ia demanda con mervelia nondesemblada en nosa clace tra la stradas folida de London. “Tu es tan magra como un banda de lenio e tan brun como un noza.”

“Whatever have you been doing with yourself, Watson?” he asked in undisguised wonder, as we rattled through the crowded London streets. “You are as thin as a lath and as brown as a nut.”

Me ia dona a el un resoma corta de mea aventuras, e ia completi apena lo a la tempo cuando nos ia ateni nosa destina.

I gave him a short sketch of my adventures, and had hardly concluded it by the time that we reached our destination.

“Diablo povre!” el ia dise compatiante, pos escuta mea mal fortunas. “Como tu pasa tua tempo aora?”

“Poor devil!” he said commiseratingly, after he had listened to my misfortunes. “What are you up to now?”

“Me xerca un abiteria,” me ia responde. “Me atenta solve la problem esce on pote oteni salas comfortosa a custa moderada.”

“Looking for lodgings,” I answered. “Trying to solve the problem as to whether it is possible to get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price.”

“Esta es un cosa strana,” mea acompanior ia comenta. “Tu es oji la om du ci ia usa acel espresa a me.”

“That’s a strange thing,” remarked my companion, “you are the second man today that has used that expression to me.”

“E ci ia es la prima?” me ia demanda.

“And who was the first?” I asked.

“Un om ci labora en la laboreria cimical de la ospital. El ia compatia se a esta matina car el no ia pote trova algun ci ta divide con el la lua de alga bon salas cual el ia trova ma cual es tro custosa per sua portamone.”

“A fellow who is working at the chemical laboratory up at the hospital. He was bemoaning himself this morning because he could not get someone to go halves with him in some nice rooms which he had found but which were too much for his purse.”

“Jupiter santa!” me ia esclama; “si el desira vera algun per comparti la salas e la custa, me es la om perfeta per el. Me ta prefere ave un camerada ca es solitar.”

“By Jove!” I cried; “if he really wants someone to share the rooms and the expense, I am the very man for him. I should prefer having a partner to being alone.”

La joven Stamford ia regarda me en modo alga strana supra sua vitro de vino. “Tu ancora no conose Sherlock Holmes,” el ia dise; “cisa tu no ta gusta el como un acompanior constante.”

Young Stamford looked rather strangely at me over his wineglass. “You don’t know Sherlock Holmes yet,” he said; “perhaps you would not care for him as a constant companion.”

“Perce? Cua on ave contra el?”

“Why, what is there against him?”

“O! Me no ia dise ce on ave cualce cosa contra el. El es pico nonusual en sua ideas — encantada par alga ramos de siensa. Cuanto me sabe, el es un bonom sufisinte.”

“Oh, I didn’t say there was anything against him. He is a little queer in his ideas — an enthusiast in some branches of science. As far as I know he is a decent fellow enough.”

“Un studiante medical, me suposa,” me ia dise.

“A medical student, I suppose,” said I.

“No — me ave no idea cual carera el intende. Me crede ce el es bon instruida sur anatomia, e el es un cimiciste de clase prima, ma cuanto me sabe, el ia segue nunca un curso sistemosa de medica. Sua studias es multe diversa e strana, ma el ia cumula un monton de sabes rara cual ta stona sua profesores.”

“No — I have no idea what he intends to go in for. I believe he is well up in anatomy, and he is a first-class chemist, but as far as I know he has never taken out any systematic medical classes. His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the way knowledge which would astonish his professors.”

“Esce tu ia demanda nunca cual carera el intende?” me ia demanda.

“Did you never ask him what he was going in for?” I asked.

“No; el no es un om ci on tenta fasil a parla sur se, an si el es bastante capas de comunica cuando sua umor conveni.”

“No; he is not a man that it is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him.”

“Me ta vole encontra el,” me ia dise. “Si me va abita con algun, me ta prefere un om de abituas studiosa e cuieta. Me es ancora no tan forte ce me ta tolera multe ruido o stimula. Me ia esperia en Afganistan tan multe de ambos per susta me tra la resta de mea esiste natural. Como me ta pote encontra esta ami de tu?”

“I should like to meet him,” I said. “If I am to lodge with anyone, I should prefer a man of studious and quiet habits. I am not strong enough yet to stand much noise or excitement. I had enough of both in Afghanistan to last me for the remainder of my natural existence. How could I meet this friend of yours?”

“El es sin duta en la laboreria,” mea acompanior ia replica. “El o evita acel loca tra semanas, o labora ala de matina asta note. Si tu vole, nos va viaja ala en junta pos la come.”

“He is sure to be at the laboratory,” returned my companion. “He either avoids the place for weeks, or else he works there from morning till night. If you like, we will drive round together after luncheon.”

“Serta,” me ia responde, e la conversa ia vaga a via par otra canales.

“Certainly,” I answered, and the conversation drifted away into other channels.

En cuando nos ia segue la via a la ospital pos sorti de la restorante, Stamford ia dona a me alga plu detalias sur la senior ci me ia proposa aseta como coabitor.

As we made our way to the hospital after leaving the Holborn, Stamford gave me a few more particulars about the gentleman whom I proposed to take as a fellow-lodger.

“Tu debe no culpa me si vos no es simpatiosa,” el ia dise; “me sabe no plu sur el ca lo cual me ia aprende par encontra el de ves a ves en la laboreria. Tu ia proposa esta relata, donce tu debe no encarga me.”

“You mustn’t blame me if you don’t get on with him,” he said; “I know nothing more of him than I have learned from meeting him occasionally in the laboratory. You proposed this arrangement, so you must not hold me responsible.”

“Si nos no es simpatiosa, la separa va es fasil,” me ia responde. “Lo pare a me, Stamford,” me ia ajunta, con regarda fisada a mea acompanior, “ce tu ave alga razona per desencarga tu de la situa. Esce la tempera de esta xico es tan intensa, o como? No teme parla franca sur la tema.”

“If we don’t get on it will be easy to part company,” I answered. “It seems to me, Stamford,” I added, looking hard at my companion, “that you have some reason for washing your hands of the matter. Is this fellow’s temper so formidable, or what is it? Don’t be mealy-mouthed about it.”

“Lo no es fasil ce on espresa la nonespresable,” el ia responde con rie. “Holmes es alga tro siensin per mea preferes — el es cuasi nonemosiosa. Me pote imajina ce el ta dona a un ami un pico de la alcaloide vejetal la plu resente, no par malvole, tu comprende, ma simple par un zelo de investiga per ave un comprende clar de la efetos. Esente justa a el, me crede ce el ta dona lo a se mesma en modo egal volente. El pare ave un pasion per sabes definida e esata.”

“It is not easy to express the inexpressible,” he answered with a laugh. “Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes — it approaches to cold-bloodedness. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of enquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects. To do him justice, I think that he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge.”

“Multe lodable.”

“Very right too.”

“Si, ma lo pote deveni suprapasante. En un caso de bate la sujetos en la morerias con basto, lo adota serta un forma alga bizara.”

“Yes, but it may be pushed to excess. When it comes to beating the subjects in the dissecting-rooms with a stick, it is certainly taking rather a bizarre shape.”

“Bate la sujetos!”

“Beating the subjects!”

“Si, per descovre a cuanto tempo pos un mori un contusa pote es produida. Me ia oserva con propre oios cuando el ia fa lo.”

“Yes, to verify how far bruises may be produced after death. I saw him at it with my own eyes.”

“E, an tal, tu dise ce el no es un studiante medical?”

“And yet you say he is not a medical student?”

“No. Sola Dio sabe cua es la ojetos de sua studias. Ma nos ia ariva ja, e tu debe formi tua propre impresas sur el.” A sua parla, nos ia dirije nos longo un rueta streta e ia pasa tra un porte peti ladal cual ia abri a un ala de la ospital grande. La teritorio ia es conoseda a me, e me ia nesesa no gida cuando nos ia asende la scalera de petra sombre e ia segue nosa via tra la coredor longa con sua vista de mur blancida con calce e portes de color grisin brun. Prosima a la fini plu distante, un pasaje de arco basa ia rami a via de lo e ia gida a la laboreria cimical.

“No. Heaven knows what the objects of his studies are. But here we are, and you must form your own impressions about him.” As he spoke, we turned down a narrow lane and passed through a small side-door which opened into a wing of the great hospital. It was familiar ground to me, and I needed no guiding as we ascended the bleak stone staircase and made our way down the long corridor with its vista of whitewashed wall and dun-coloured doors. Near the farther end a low-arched passage branched away from it and led to the chemical laboratory.

Esta ia es un cambra alta, foreda e desordinada con botelas noncontable. Tables larga e basa ia es sperdeda asi e ala, con abunda de retortas, tubos de proba, e lampas peti de Bunsen con sua flamas azul. On ia ave sola un studiante en la sala, curvinte supra un table distante, fasinada par sua labora. A la sona de nosa pasos, el ia turna sua regarda e ia sta saltante con esclama de plaser. “Me ia trova lo! Me ia trova lo!” el ia cria a mea acompanior, corente en dirije a nos con un tubo de proba en sua mano. “Me ia trova un reatante cual es presipitada par emoglobina, e par no otra cosa.” Si el ta descovre un mineria de oro, un deleta plu grande no ta pote brilia sur sua fas.

This was a lofty chamber, lined and littered with countless bottles. Broad, low tables were scattered about, which bristled with retorts, test-tubes, and little Bunsen lamps, with their blue flickering flames. There was only one student in the room, who was bending over a distant table absorbed in his work. At the sound of our steps he glanced round and sprang to his feet with a cry of pleasure. “I’ve found it! I’ve found it,” he shouted to my companion, running towards us with a test-tube in his hand. “I have found a reagent which is precipitated by haemoglobin, and by nothing else.” Had he discovered a gold mine, greater delight could not have shone upon his features.

“Dr Watson, Sr Sherlock Holmes,” Stamford ia dise, presentante nos.

“Dr Watson, Mr Sherlock Holmes,” said Stamford, introducing us.

“Como lo vade?” el ia dise amin, teninte mea mano con un fortia sur cual me ia ta suspeta apena ce lo parteni a el. “Tu ia es en Afganistan, me persepi.”

“How are you?” he said cordially, gripping my hand with a strength for which I should hardly have given him credit. “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

“Como de mundo tu ia sabe esta?” me ia demanda en stona.

“How on earth did you know that?” I asked in astonishment.

“No importante,” el ia dise, cacaretante a se. “La demanda presente pertine a emoglobina. Sin duta, tu vide la sinifia de esta mea descovre?”

“Never mind,” said he, chuckling to himself. “The question now is about haemoglobin. No doubt you see the significance of this discovery of mine?”

“Lo es interesante, cimical, sin duta,” me ia responde, “ma pratical —”

“It is interesting, chemically, no doubt,” I answered, “but practically —”

“Ma, senior, lo es la descovre medicolegal la plu pratical de anios. Esce tu no vide ce lo furni un proba nonerante per manxas de sangue? Veni aora asi!” El ia saisi la manga de mea jacon en sua zelo, e ia tira me en traversa a la table do el ia es laborante. “Ta ce nos ave alga sangue fresca,” el ia dise, puiante un dageta longa a sua dito e estraente la gota de sangue resultante en un pipeta cimical. “Aora, me ajunta esta cuantia peti de sangue a un litre de acua. Vos persepi ce la misca resultante ave la aspeta de acua pur. La proportio de sangue no pote es plu ca un milioni. Me ave no duta, an tal, ce nos va pote oteni la reata tipal.” Ancora parlante, el ia lansa en la vaso un pico de cristales blanca, e ia ajunta seguente alga gotas de un licuida transparente. Pos un momento, la contenidas ia adota un color mate de mogano e un polvo brunin ia es presipitada a la fondo de la jar de vitro.

“Why, man, it is the most practical medico-legal discovery for years. Don’t you see that it gives us an infallible test for blood stains. Come over here now!” He seized me by the coat-sleeve in his eagerness, and drew me over to the table at which he had been working. “Let us have some fresh blood,” he said, digging a long bodkin into his finger and drawing off the resulting drop of blood in a chemical pipette. “Now, I add this small quantity of blood to a litre of water. You perceive that the resulting mixture has the appearance of pure water. The proportion of blood cannot be more than one in a million. I have no doubt, however, that we shall be able to obtain the characteristic reaction.” As he spoke, he threw into the vessel a few white crystals, and then added some drops of a transparent fluid. In an instant the contents assumed a dull mahogany colour and a brownish dust was precipitated to the bottom of the glass jar.

“Ha ha!” el ia esclama, batente sua manos con aspeta tan deletada como un enfante con jueta nova. “Como es tua opina de esta?”

“Ha! ha!” he cried, clapping his hands, and looking as delighted as a child with a new toy. “What do you think of that?”

“Lo pare es un proba multe distinguinte,” me ia comenta.

“It seems to be a very delicate test,” I remarked.

“Bela! Bela! La proba par guaiaco ia es multe torpe e nonserta. Tal es ance la esamina par microscopio per selulas de sangue. Lo es sin valua si la manxas ia esiste tra alga oras. Ma esta pare ata egal bon si la sangue es vea o nova. Si esta proba ia ta es ja inventada, la mundo conteni sentos de omes aora respirante ci en la pasada distante ia ta paia la multa per sua crimines.”

“Beautiful! beautiful! The old guaiacum test was very clumsy and uncertain. So is the microscopic examination for blood corpuscles. The latter is valueless if the stains are a few hours old. Now, this appears to act as well whether the blood is old or new. Had this test been invented, there are hundreds of men now walking the earth who would long ago have paid the penalty of their crimes.”

“Vera!” me ia murmura.

“Indeed!” I murmured.

“Casos criminal pivote sempre denova sur esta sola punto. Un om es suspetada de un crimin, cisa a menses pos la aveni. On esamina sua telas o vestes e descovre manxas brunin sur los. Esce los es manxas de sangue, o manxas de fango, o manxas de osidi, o manxas de fruta, o como? Esta es un demanda cual ia confonde plu ca un esperta, e perce? Car on no ia ave un proba fidable. Aora nos ave la proba de Sherlock Holmes, e la difisilia no va esiste plu.”

“Criminal cases are continually hinging upon that one point. A man is suspected of a crime months perhaps after it has been committed. His linen or clothes are examined and brownish stains discovered upon them. Are they blood stains, or mud stains, or rust stains, or fruit stains, or what are they? That is a question which has puzzled many an expert, and why? Because there was no reliable test. Now we have the Sherlock Holmes test, and there will no longer be any difficulty.”

Sua oios ia es an sintilinte en sua parla, e ponente sua mano supra sua cor, el ia inclina como si ante alga fola de aplaudores apareda par sua imajina.

His eyes fairly glittered as he spoke, and he put his hand over his heart and bowed as if to some applauding crowd conjured up by his imagination.

“Ta ce me ofre mea lodas,” me ia comenta, notable surprendeda par sua zelo.

“You are to be congratulated,” I remarked, considerably surprised at his enthusiasm.

“On ia ave la caso de Von Bischoff a Frankfurt en la anio pasada. El ia ta es serta pendeda si esta proba ia ta esiste. Plu, on ia ave Mason de Bradford, e la malfamosa Muller, e Lefevre de Montpellier, e Samson de Orleans Nova. Me ta pote nomi un dudesuple de casos en cual lo ia ta es desidente.”

“There was the case of Von Bischoff at Frankfurt last year. He would certainly have been hung had this test been in existence. Then there was Mason of Bradford, and the notorious Muller, and Lefevre of Montpellier, and Samson of New Orleans. I could name a score of cases in which it would have been decisive.”

“Tu pare es un cataloga paseante de crimines,” Stamford ia dise con rie. “Tu ta pote comensa un jornal de tal spesie. Nomi lo Novas de la polisia pasada.”

“You seem to be a walking calendar of crime,” said Stamford with a laugh. “You might start a paper on those lines. Call it the Police News of the Past.”

“E lo ta pote an deveni un leje multe interesante,” Sherlock Holmes ia comenta, colinte un peso peti de covrente medical sur sua dito picada. “Me debe atende,” el ia continua, turnante a me con surie, “car me jua multe con venenas.” Parlante, el ia estende sua mano, e me ia nota ce lo es intera manxada par pesos simil, e descolorida par asidas forte.

“Very interesting reading it might be made, too,” remarked Sherlock Holmes, sticking a small piece of plaster over the prick on his finger. “I have to be careful,” he continued, turning to me with a smile, “for I dabble with poisons a good deal.” He held out his hand as he spoke, and I noticed that it was all mottled over with similar pieces of plaster, and discoloured with strong acids.

“Nos ia veni asi con mision,” Stamford ia dise, sentante se sur un sejeta alta de tre gamas e puxante un otra en mea dirije con sua pede. “Esta ami de me desira trova un abiteria; e car tu ia es cexante de pote trova nun ci ta divide la lua con tu, me ia pensa ce me ta condui la plu bon par trae vos a lunlotra.”

“We came here on business,” said Stamford, sitting down on a high three-legged stool, and pushing another one in my direction with his foot. “My friend here wants to take diggings; and as you were complaining that you could get no one to go halves with you, I thought that I had better bring you together.”

Sherlock Holmes ia pare deletada a la idea de comparti sua salas con me. “Me considera un suite en Strada Baker,” el ia dise, “cual ta es completa conveninte per nos. Tu no desaproba la odor de tabaco forte, me espera?”

Sherlock Holmes seemed delighted at the idea of sharing his rooms with me. “I have my eye on a suite in Baker Street,” he said, “which would suit us down to the ground. You don’t mind the smell of strong tobacco, I hope?”

“Me mesma fumi sempre lo en la forma Ship’s,” me ia responde.

“I always smoke ‘ship’s’ myself,” I answered.

“Acel es sufisinte bon. Me ave jeneral cimicales presente, e fa esperimentas de ves a ves. Esce esta ta irita tu?”

“That’s good enough. I generally have chemicals about, and occasionally do experiments. Would that annoy you?”

“En no modo.”

“By no means.”

“Ta ce me pensa — cua es mea otra defetos? Me cade en umor sombre a veses, e no abri mea boca tra dias en serie. Tu debe no opina ce me es malumorosa cuando me fa esta. Lasa me en solitaria, mera, e me va deveni bon pos tempo corta. Cua es tua confesas, aora? Lo es preferable ce du omes sabe ja la cualias la plu mal de lunlotra ante cuando los comensa coabita.”

“Let me see — what are my other shortcomings? I get in the dumps at times, and don’t open my mouth for days on end. You must not think I am sulky when I do that. Just let me alone, and I’ll soon be right. What have you to confess now? It’s just as well for two fellows to know the worst of one another before they begin to live together.”

Me ia rie a esta contrainteroga. “Me posese un revolver peti,” me ia dise, “e me oposa disputas, car mea nervos es desordinada, e me emerje de leto a oras diversa e xocante, e me es estrema pigra. Me ave un plu colie de cualias vil cuando me es sana, ma aceles es la xefes a presente.”

I laughed at this cross-examination. “I keep a bull pup,” I said, “and I object to rows, because my nerves are shaken, and I get up at all sorts of ungodly hours, and I am extremely lazy. I have another set of vices when I’m well, but those are the principal ones at present.”

“Esce tu inclui juas de violin en tua categoria de disputas?” el ia demanda, ansiosa.

“Do you include violin playing in your category of rows?” he asked, anxiously.

“Lo depende de la juor,” me ia responde. “Un violin bon juada es un regala per la dios — un mal juada …”

“It depends on the player,” I answered. “A well-played violin is a treat for the gods — a badly-played one …”

“O! Alora, tota vade bon,” el ia esclama, con rie felis. “Me crede ce nos pote judi ce la cosa es desideda — a la min, si la salas plase tu.”

“Oh, that’s all right,” he cried, with a merry laugh. “I think we may consider the thing as settled — that is, if the rooms are agreeable to you.”

“Cuando nos va vide los?”

“When shall we see them?”

“Clama me asi a mediadia doman, e la du de nos va vade per organiza tota,” el ia responde.

“Call for me here at noon tomorrow, and we’ll go together and settle everything,” he answered.

“Bon — a mediadia esata,” me ia dise, presante sua mano.

“All right — noon exactly,” said I, shaking his hand.

Nos ia lasa el a labora entre sua cimicales, e nos ia pasea juntada en dirije a mea otel.

We left him working among his chemicals, and we walked together towards my hotel.

“En pasa,” me ia demanda subita, parante e turnante me a Stamford, “como de diablo el ia sabe ce me ia veni de Afganistan?”

“By the way,” I asked suddenly, stopping and turning upon Stamford, “how the deuce did he know that I had come from Afghanistan?”

Mea acompanior ia surie un surie enigmosa. “Esta es simple sua cualia pico strana,” el ia dise. “Un bon cuantia de persones ia desira sabe como el descovre cosas.”

My companion smiled an enigmatical smile. “That’s just his little peculiarity,” he said. “A good many people have wanted to know how he finds things out.”

“O! Un misterio, si?” me ia esclama, frotante mea manos. Esta es vera spisosa. Me es multe obligada a tu per trae nos a lunlotra. ‘La studia bon umana es umana,’ tu sabe.”

“Oh! a mystery is it?” I cried, rubbing my hands. “This is very piquant. I am much obliged to you for bringing us together. ‘The proper study of mankind is man,’ you know.”

“Ta ce tu studia el, alora,” Stamford ia dise, vosinte a me sua adio. “Ma tu va trova ce el es un problem maraniada. Me aposta ce el va aprende plu sur tu ca tu sur el. Asta revide.”

“You must study him, then,” Stamford said, as he bade me goodbye. “You’ll find him a knotty problem, though. I’ll wager he learns more about you than you about him. Goodbye.”

“Asta revide,” me ia responde, e ia continua mea pasea a mea otel, notable interesada par mea conoseda nova.

“Goodbye,” I answered, and strolled on to my hotel, considerably interested in my new acquaintance.