A Study in Scarlet (Serial Edition Cover) — page 70: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

62 A STUDY IN SCARLET. The hall door had hardly slammed behind our visitor before Holmes had descended the stair. Looking through the window I could see her walk- ing feebly along the other side, while her pursuer dogged her some little distance behind. ‘‘Kither his whole theory is incorrect,’’ I thought to myself, ‘‘or else he will be led now to the heart of the mystery.’’ There was no need for him to ask me to wait up for him, for I felt that sleep was impossible until I heard the result of his adventure. It was close upon nine when he set out. I had no idea how long he might be, but I sat stolidly puffing at my pipe and skipping over the pages of Henri Murger’s ‘‘Vie de Bohéme.’’ Ten o’clock passed, and I heard the footsteps of the maids as they pat- tered off to bed. Eleven, and the more stately tread of the landlady passed by my door, bound for the same destination. It was close upon twelve before I heard the sharp sound of his latch key. The instant he entered I saw by his face that he had not been successful. Amusement and chagrin seemed to be struggling for the mastery, until the former sudden- ly carried the day, and he burst into a hearty laugh. ‘‘I wouldn’t have the Scotland Yarders know it for the world,’’ he cried, dropping into his chair; ‘‘T have chaffed them so much that they would never have let me hear the end of it. I can afford to laugh, because I know that I will be even with them in the long run.”’ Gomicbooks.¢