The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

we are suffering from a plethora of surmise, conjecture, and hypothesis.

Wish we had Holmes on the case of Russiagate

The difficulty is to detach the framework of fact — of absolute undeniable fact — from the embellishments of theorists and reporters.

wwsd? If only Holmes would take the case of the Russian diplomats...

‘See the value of imagination,’ said Holmes. ‘It is the one quality which Gregory lacks. We imagined what might have happened, acted upon the supposition, and find ourselves justified. Let us proceed.’

‘To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.’ ‘The dog did nothing in the night-time.’ ‘That was the curious incident,’ remarked Sherlock Holmes.

‘Norbury’

Tarleton

Vamberry,

Ricoletti of the club-foot,

recherché.’

Hurlstone

“Whose was it? ‘ “His who is gone. ‘ “Who shall have it? ‘ “He who will come. ‘ “What was the month? ‘ “The sixth from the first. ‘ “Where was the sun? ‘ “Over the oak. ‘ “Where was the shadow? ‘ “Under the elm. ‘ “How was it stepped? ‘ “North by ten and by ten, east by five and by five, south by two and by two, west by one and by one, and so under. ‘ “What shall we give for it? ‘ “All that is ours. ‘ “Why should we give it? ‘ “For the sake of the trust.”

‘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.

Scylla and Charybdis

J pen

my hand had drawn him back from that dark valley in which all paths meet.

‘There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion,’

But this rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.’

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