The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

We imagined what might have happened, acted upon the supposition, and find ourselves justified. Let us proceed.’

Sherlock Holmes was a man who seldom took exercise for exercise’s sake. Few men were capable of greater muscular effort, and he was undoubtedly one of the finest boxers of his weight that I have ever seen; but he looked upon aimless bodily exertion as a waste of energy,

Any truth is better than indefinite doubt. We had better go up at once.

collection of my trifling achievements would certainly be incomplete which contained no account of this very singular business.

Even when you knew me first, at the time of the affair which you have commemorated in A Study in Scarlet,

‘It is of the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize out of a number of facts which are incidental and which vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated.

I make a point of never having any prejudices,

it is stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognize danger when it is close upon you.