I was able at last to persuade my companion to take my advice,though I knew from his excited manner that there was not much hopeof sleep for him. Indeed, his mood was infectious, for I lay tossinghalf the night myself, brooding over this strange problem andinventing a hundred theories, each of which was more impossible thanthe last. Why had Holmes remained at Woking? Why had he asked MissHarrison to remain in the sick-room all day? Why had he been socareful not to inform the people at Briarbrae that he intended toremain near them? I cudgelled my brains until I fell asleep in theendeavour to find some explanation which would cover all these facts.It was seven o'clock when I awoke, and I set off at once forPhelps's room to find him haggard and spent after a sleepless night.His first question was whether Holmes had arrived yet.

　　"He'll be here when he promised," said I, "and not an instant sooneror later."

　　And my words were true, for shortly after eight a hansom dashed upto the door and our friend got out of it. Standing in the window wesaw that his left hand was swathed in a bandage and that his facewas very grim and pale. He entered the house, but it was some littletime before he came upstairs.

　　"He looks like a beaten man," cried Phelps.

　　I was forced to confess that he was right. "After all," said I, "theclue of the matter lies probably here in town."

　　Phelps gave a groan.

　　"I don't know how it is," said he, "but I had hoped for so much fromhis return. But surely his hand was not tied up like that yesterday.What can be the matter?"

　　"You are not wounded, Holmes?" I asked as my friend entered theroom.

　　"Tut, it is only a scratch through my own clumsiness," heanswered, nodding his good-morning to us. "This case of yours, Mr.Phelps, is certainly one of the darkest which I have everinvestigated."

　　"I feared that you would find it beyond you."

　　"It has been a most remarkable experience."

　　"That bandage tells of adventures," said I. "Won't you tell uswhat has happened?"

　　"After breakfast, my dear Watson. Remember that I have breathedthirty miles of Surrey air this morning. I suppose that there has beenno answer from my cabman advertisement? Well, well, we cannot expectto score every time."