SHERLOCK HOLMES
THE ADVENTURE OF THE COPPER BEECHES
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
〃To the man who loves art for its own sake；〃 remarked Sherlock
Holmes； tossing aside the advertisement sheet of the Daily
Telegraph； 〃it is frequently in its least important and lowliest
manifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived。 It is
pleasant to me to observe； Watson； that you have so far grasped this
truth that in these little records of our cases which you have been
good enough to draw up； and； I am bound to say； occasionally to
embellish； you have given prominence not so much to the many causes
celebres and sensational trials in which I have figured but rather
to those incidents which may have been trivial in themselves； but
which have given room for those faculties of deduction and of
logical synthesis which I have made my special province。〃
〃And yet；〃 said I； smiling； 〃I cannot quite hold myself absolved
from the charge of sensationalism which has been urged against my
records。〃
〃You have erred； perhaps；〃 he observed； taking up a glowing cinder
with the tongs and lighting with it the long cherry…wood pipe which
was wont to replace his clay when he was in a disputatious rather than
a meditative mood…〃you have erred perhaps in attempting to put
colour and life into each of your statements instead of confining
yourself to the task of placing upon record that severe reasoning from
cause to effect which is really the only notable feature about the
thing。〃
〃It seems to me that I have done you full justice in the matter；〃
I remarked with some coldness； for I was repelled by the egotism which
I had more than once observed to be a strong factor in my friend's
singular character。
〃No； it is not selfishness or conceit；〃 said he； answering； as was
his wont； my thoughts rather than my words。 〃If I claim full justice
for my art； it is because it is an impersonal thing…a thing beyond
myself。 Crime is common。 Logic is rare。 Therefore it is upon the logic
rather than upon the crime that you should dwell。 You have degraded
what should have been a course of lectures into a series of tales。〃
It was a cold morning of the early spring； and we sat after
breakfast on either side of a cheery fire in the old room at Baker
Street。 A thick fog rolled down between the lines of dun…coloured
houses； and the opposing windows loomed like dark； shapeless blurs
through the heavy yellow wreaths。 Our gas was lit and shone on the
white cloth and glimmer of china and metal； for the table had not been
cleared yet。 Sherlock Holmes had been silent all the morning；
dipping continuously into the advertisement columns of a succession of
papers until at last； having apparently given up his search； he had
emerged in no very sweet temper to lecture me upon my literary
shortcomings。
〃At the same time；〃 he remarked after a pause； during which he had
sat puffing at his long pipe and gazing down into the fire； 〃you can
hardly be open to a charge of sensationalism； for out of these cases
which you have been so kind as to interest yourself in； a fair
proportion do not treat of crime； in its legal sense； at all。 The
small matter in which I endeavoured to help the King of Bohemia； the
singular experience of Miss Mary Sutherland； the problem connected
with the man with the twisted lip； and the incident of the noble
bachelor； were all matters which are outside the pale of the law。
But in avoiding the sensational； I fear that you may have bordered
on the trivial。〃
〃The end may have been so；〃 I answered； 〃but the methods I hold to
have been novel and of interest。〃
〃Pshaw； my dear fellow； what do the public； the great unobservant
public； who could hardly tell a weaver by his tooth or a compositor by
his left thumb； care about the finer shades of analysis and deduction！
But； indeed； if you are trivial； I cannot blame you； for the days of
the great cases are past。 Man； or at least criminal man； has lost
all enterprise and originality。 As to my own little practice； it seems
to be degenerating into an agency for recovering lost lead pencils and
giving advice to young ladies from boarding…schools。 I think that I
have touched bottom at last； however。 This note I had this morning
marks my zero…point； I fancy。 Read it！〃 He tossed a crumpled letter
across to me。
It was dated from Montague Place upon the preceding evening； and ran
thus：
DEAR MR。 HOLMES：
I am very anxious to consult you as to whether I should or should
not accept a situation which has been offered to me as governess。 I
shall call at half…past ten to…morrow if I do not inconvenience you。
Yours faithfully；
VIOLET HUNTER。
〃Do you know the young lady？〃 I asked。
〃Not I。〃
〃It is half…past ten now。〃
〃Yes； and I have no doubt that is her ring。〃
〃It may turn out to be of more interest than you think。 You remember
that the affair of the blue carbuncle； which appeared to be a mere
whim at first； developed into a serious investigation。 It may be so in
this case； also。〃
〃Well； let us hope so。 But our doubts will very soon be solved；
for here； unless I am much mistaken； is the person in question。〃
As he spoke the door opened and a young lady entered the room。 She
was plainly but neatly dressed； with a bright； quick face； freckled
like a plover's egg； and with the brisk manner of a woman who has
had her own way to make in the world。
〃You will excuse my troubling you； I am sure；〃 said she； as my
companion rose to greet her； 〃but I have had a very strange
experience； and as I have no parents or relations of any sort from
whom I could ask advice； I thought that perhaps you would be kind
enough to tell me what I should do。〃
〃Pray take a seat； Miss Hunter。 I shall be happy to do anything that
I can to serve you。〃
I could see that Holmes was favourably impressed by the manner and
speech of his new client。 He looked her over in his searching fashion；
and then composed himself； with his lids drooping and his
finger…tips together； to listen to her story。
〃I have been a governess for five years；〃 said she； 〃in the family
of Colonel Spence Munro； but two months ago the colonel received an
appointment at Halifax； in Nova Scotia； and took his children over
to America with him； so that I found myself without a situation。 I
advertised； and I answered advertisements； but without success。 At
last the little money which I had saved began to run short； and I
was at my wit's end as to what I should do。
〃There is a well…known agency for governesses in the West End called
Westaway's； and there I used to call about once a week in order to see
whether anything had turned up which might suit me。 Westaway was the
name of the founder of the business； but it is really managed by
Miss Stoper。 She sits in her own little office； and the ladies who are
seeking employment wait in an anteroom； and are then shown in one by
one； when she consults her ledgers and sees whether she has anything
which would suit them。
〃Well； when I called last week I was shown into the little office as
usual； but found that Miss Stoper was not alone。 A prodigiously
stout man with a very smiling face and a great heavy chin which rolled
down in fold upon fold over his throat sat at her elbow with a pair of
glasses on his nose； looking very earnestly at the ladies who entered。
As I came in he gave quite a jump in his chair and turned quickly to
Miss Stoper。
〃'That will do；' said he； 'I could not ask for anything better。
Capital！ capital！'
He seemed quite enthusiastic and rubbed his hands together in the
most genial fashion。 He was such a comfortable…looking man that it was
quite a pleasure to look at him。
〃'You are looking for a situation； miss？' he asked。
〃'Yes； sir。'
〃'As governess？'
〃'Yes； sir。'
〃'And what salary do you ask？'
〃'I had L4 a month in my last place with Colonel Spence Munro。'
〃'Oh； tut； tut！ sweating…rank sweating！' he cried； throwing his
fat hands out into the air like a man who is in a boiling passion。
'How could anyone offer so pitiful a sum to a lady with such
attractions and accomplishments？'
〃'My accomplishments； sir； may be less than you imagine；' said I。 'A
little French； a little German； music； and drawing…'
〃'Tut； tut！' he cried。 'This is all quite beside the question。 The
point is； have you or have you not the bearing and deportment of a
lady？ There it is in a nutshell。 If you have not； you are not fitted
for the rearing of a child who may some day play a considerable part
in the history of the country。 But if you have； why； then； how could
any gentleman ask you to condescend to accept anything under the three
figures？ Your salary with me； madam； would commence at L100 a year。'
〃You may imagine； Mr。 Holmes； that to me； destitute as I was； such
an offer seemed almost too good to be true。 The gentleman； however；