"Cut out the poetry, Watson," said Holmes severely. "I note thatit was a high brick wall."

　　"Exactly. I should not have known which was The Haven had I notasked a lounger who was smoking in the street. I have a reason formentioning him. He was a tall, dark, heavily moustached, rathermilitary-looking man. He nodded in answer to my inquiry and gave mea curiously questioning glance, which came back to my memory alittle later.

　　"I had hardly entered the gateway before I saw Mr. Amberley comingdown the drive. I only had a glimpse of him this morning, and hecertainly gave me the impression of a strange creature, but when I sawhim in full light his appearance was even more abnormal.""I have, of course, studied it, and yet I should be interested tohave your impression," said Holmes.

　　"He seemed to me like a man who was literally bowed down by care.His back was curved as though he carried a heavy burden. Yet he wasnot the weakling that I had at first imagined, for his shoulders andchest have the framework of a giant, though his figure tapers awayinto a pair of spindled legs."

　　"Left shoe wrinkled, right one smooth."

　　"I did not observe that."

　　"No, you wouldn't. I spotted his artificial limb. But proceed.""I was struck by the snaky locks of grizzled hair which curledfrom under his old straw hat, and his face with its fierce, eagerexpression and the deeply lined features."

　　"Very good, Watson. What did he say?"

　　"He began pouring out the story of his grievances. We walked downthe drive together, and of course I took a good look round. I havenever seen a worse-kept place. The garden was all running to seed,giving me an impression of wild neglect in which the plants had beenallowed to find the way of Nature rather than of art. How any decentwoman could have tolerated such a state of things, I don't know. Thehouse, too, was slatternly to the last degree, but the poor man seemedhimself to be aware of it and to be trying to remedy it, for a greatpot of green paint stood in the centre of the hall, and he wascarrying a thick brush in his left hand. He had been working on thewoodwork.