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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHERLOCK　HOLMES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　FINAL　PROBLEM

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle



　　It　is　with　a　heavy　heart　that　I　take　up　my　pen　to　write　these　the

last　words　in　which　I　shall　ever　record　the　singular　gifts　by　which　my

friend　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes　was　distinguished。　In　an　incoherent　and；　as

I　deeply　feel；　an　entirely　inadequate　fashion；　I　have　endeavoured　to

give　some　account　of　my　strange　experiences　in　his　company　from　the

chance　which　first　brought　us　together　at　the　period　of　the　'Study

in　Scarlet；'　up　to　the　time　of　his　interference　in　the　matter　of　the

'Naval　Treaty'…an　interference　which　had　the　unquestionable　effect

of　preventing　a　serious　international　complication。　It　was　my

intention　to　have　stopped　there；　and　to　have　said　nothing　of　that

event　which　has　created　a　void　in　my　life　which　the　lapse　of　two　years

has　done　little　to　fill。　My　hand　has　been　forced；　however；　by　the

recent　letters　in　which　Colonel　James　Moriarty　defends　the　memory　of

his　brother；　and　I　have　no　choice　but　to　lay　the　facts　before　the

public　exactly　as　they　occurred。　I　alone　know　the　absolute　truth　of

the　matter；　and　I　am　satisfied　that　the　time　has　come　when　no　good

purpose　is　to　be　served　by　its　suppression。　As　far　as　I　know；　there

have　been　only　three　accounts　in　the　public　press：　that　in　the　Journal

de　Geneve　on　May　6th；　1891；　the　Reuter's　dispatch　in　the　English

papers　on　May　7th；　and　finally　the　recent　letters　to　which　I　have

alluded。　Of　these　the　first　and　second　were　extremely　condensed；　while

the　last　is；　as　I　shall　now　show；　an　absolute　perversion　of　the　facts。

It　lies　with　me　to　tell　for　the　first　time　what　really　took　place

between　Professor　Moriarty　and　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes。

　　It　may　be　remembered　that　after　my　marriage；　and　my　subsequent　start

in　private　practice；　the　very　intimate　relations　which　had　existed

between　Holmes　and　myself　became　to　some　extent　modified。　He　still

came　to　me　from　time　to　time　when　he　desired　a　companion　in　his

investigations；　but　these　occasions　grew　more　and　more　seldom；　until　I

find　that　in　the　year　1890　there　were　only　three　cases　of　which　I

retain　any　record。　During　the　winter　of　that　year　and　the　early　spring

of　1891；　I　saw　in　the　papers　that　he　had　been　engaged　by　the　French

government　upon　a　matter　of　supreme　importance；　and　I　received　two

notes　from　Holmes；　dated　from　Narbonne　and　from　Nimes；　from　which　I

gathered　that　his　stay　in　France　was　likely　to　be　a　long　one。　It　was

with　some　surprise；　therefore；　that　I　saw　him　walk　into　my

consulting…room　upon　the　evening　of　April　24th。　It　struck　me　that　he

was　looking　even　paler　and　thinner　than　usual。

　　〃Yes；　I　have　been　using　myself　up　rather　too　freely；〃　he　remarked；

in　answer　to　my　look　rather　than　to　my　words；　〃I　have　been　a　little

pressed　of　late。　Have　you　any　objection　to　my　closing　your　shutters？〃

　　The　only　light　in　the　room　came　from　the　lamp　upon　the　table　at

which　I　had　been　reading。　Holmes　edged　his　way　round　the　wall；　and；

flinging　the　shutters　together；　he　bolted　them　securely。

　　〃You　are　afraid　of　something？〃　I　asked。

　　〃Well；　I　am。〃

　　〃Of　what？〃

　　〃Of　air…guns。〃

　　〃My　dear　Holmes；　what　do　you　mean？〃

　　〃I　think　that　you　know　me　well　enough；　Watson；　to　understand　that

I　am　by　no　means　a　nervous　man。　At　the　same　time；　it　is　stupidity

rather　than　courage　to　refuse　to　recognize　danger　when　it　is　close

upon　you。　Might　I　trouble　you　for　a　match？〃　He　drew　in　the　smoke　of

his　cigarette　as　if　the　soothing　influence　was　grateful　to　him。

　　〃I　must　apologize　for　calling　so　late；〃　said　he；　〃and　I　must　further

beg　you　to　be　so　unconventional　as　to　allow　me　to　leave　your　house

presently　by　scrambling　over　your　back　garden　wall。〃

　　〃But　what　does　it　all　mean？〃　I　asked。

　　He　held　out　his　hand；　and　I　saw　in　the　light　of　the　lamp　that　two　of

his　knuckles　were　burst　and　bleeding。

　　〃It's　not　an　airy　nothing；　you　see；〃　said　he；　smiling。　〃On　the

contrary；　it　is　solid　enough　for　a　man　to　break　his　hand　over。　Is　Mrs。

Watson　in？〃

　　〃She　is　away　upon　a　visit。〃

　　〃Indeed　You　are　alone？〃

　　〃Quite。〃

　　〃Then　it　makes　it　the　easier　for　me　to　propose　that　you　should

come　away　with　me　for　a　week　to　the　Continent。〃

　　〃Where？〃

　　〃Oh；　anywhere。　It's　all　the　same　to　me。〃

　　There　was　something　very　strange　in　all　this。　It　was　not　Holmes's

nature　to　take　an　aimless　holiday；　and　something　about　his　pale；

worn　face　told　me　that　his　nerves　were　at　their　highest　tension。　He

saw　the　question　in　my　eyes；　and；　putting　his　finger…tips　together　and

his　elbows　upon　his　knees；　he　explained　the　situation。

　　〃You　have　probably　never　heard　of　Professor　Moriarty？〃　said　he。

　　〃Never。〃

　　〃Ay；　there's　the　genius　and　the　wonder　of　the　thing〃　he　cried。

〃The　man　pervades　London；　and　no　one　has　heard　of　him。　That's　what

puts　him　on　a　pinnacle　in　the　records　of　crime。　I　tell　you　Watson；

in　all　seriousness；　that　if　I　could　beat　that　man；　if　I　could　free

society　of　him；　I　should　feel　that　my　own　career　had　reached　its

summit；　and　I　should　be　prepared　to　turn　to　some　more　placid　line　in

life。　Between　ourselves；　the　recent　cases　in　which　I　have　been　of

assistance　to　the　royal　family　of　Scandinavia；　and　to　the　French

republic；　have　left　me　in　such　a　position　that　I　could　continue　to

live　in　the　quiet　fashion　which　is　most　congenial　to　me；　and　to

concentrate　my　attention　upon　my　chemical　researches。　But　I　could

not　rest；　Watson；　I　could　not　sit　quiet　in　my　chair；　if　I　thought　that

such　a　man　as　Professor　Moriarty　were　walking　the　streets　of　London

unchallenged。〃

　　〃What　has　he　done；　then？〃

　　〃His　career　has　been　an　extraordinary　one。　He　is　a　man　of　good　birth

and　excellent　education；　endowed　by　nature　with　a　phenomenal

mathematical　faculty。　At　the　age　of　twenty…one　he　wrote　a　treatise

upon　the　binomial　theorem；　which　has　had　a　European　vogue。　On　the

strength　of　it　he　won　the　mathematical　chair　at　one　of　our　smaller

universities；　and　had；　to　all　appearances；　a　most　brilliant　career

before　him。　But　the　man　had　hereditary　tendencies　of　the　most

diabolical　kind。　A　criminal　strain　ran　in　his　blood；　which；　instead　of

being　modified；　was　increased　and　rendered　infinitely　more　dangerous

by　his　extraordinary　mental　powers。　Dark　rumours　gathered　round　him　in

the　university　town；　and　eventually　he　was　compelled　to　resign　his

chair　and　to　come　down　to　London；　where　he　set　up　as　an　army　coach。　So

much　is　known　to　the　world；　but　what　I　am　telling　you　now　is　what　I

have　myself　discovered。

　　〃As　you　are　aware；　Watson；　there　is　no　one　who　knows　the　higher

criminal　world　of　London　so　well　as　I　do。　For　years　past　I　have

continually　been　conscious　of　some　power　behind　the　malefactor；　some

deep　organizing　power　which　forever　stands　in　the　way　of　the　law；

and　throws　its　shield　over　the　wrong…doer。　Again　and　again　in　cases　of

the　most　varying　sorts…forgery　cases；　robberies；　murders…I　have　felt

the　presence　of　this　force；　and　I　have　deduced　its　action　in　many　of

those　undiscovered　crimes　in　which　I　have　not　been　personally

consulted。　For　years　I　have　endeavoured　to　break　through　the　veil

which　shrouded　it；　and　at　last　the　time　came　when　I　seized　my　thread

and　followed　it；　until　it　led　me；　after　a　thousand　cunning　windings；

to　ex…Professor　Moriarty；　of　mathematical　celebrity。

　　〃He　is　the　Napoleon　of　crime；　Watson。　He　is　the　organizer　of　half

that　is　evil　and　of　nearly　all　that　is　undetected　in　this　great

city。　He　is　a　genius；　a　philosopher；　an　abstract　thinker。　He　has　a

brain　of　the　first　order。　He　sits　motionless；　like　a　spider　in　the

centre　of　its　web；　but　that　web　has　a　thousand　radiations；　and　he

knows　well　every　quiver　of　each　of　them。　He　does　little　himself　He

only　plans。　But　his　agents　are　numerous　and　splendidly　organized。　Is

there　a　crime　to　be　done　a　paper　to　be　abstracted；　we　will　say；　a

house　to　be　rifled；　a　man　to　be　removed　the　word　is　passed　to　the

professor；　the　matter　is　organized　and　carried　out。　The　agent　may　be

caught。　In　that　case　money　is　found　for　his　bail　or　his　defence。　But

the　central　power　which　uses　the　agent　is　never　caught…never　so　much

as　suspected。　This　was　the　organization　which　I　deduced；　Watson；　and

which　I　devoted　my　whole　energy　to　exposing　and　breaking　up。

　　〃But　the　professor　was　fenced　round　with　safeguards　so　cunningly

devised　that；　do　what　I　would；　it　seemed　impossible　to　get　evidence

which　would　convict　in　a　court　of　law。　You　know　my　powers；　my　dear

Watson；　and　yet　at　the　end　of　three　months　I　was　forced　to　confess

that　I　had　at　last　met　an　antagonist　who　was　my　intellectual　equal。　My

horror　at　his　crimes　was　lost　in　my　admiration　at　his　skill。　But　at

last　he　made　a　trip…only　a　little；　little　trip…but　it　was　more　than　he

could　afford；　when　I　was　so　close　upon　him。　I　had　my　chance；　and；

starting　from　that　point；　I　have　woven　my　net　round　him　until　now　it

is　all　ready　to　close。　In　three　days…that　is　to　say；　on　Monday

next…matters　will　be　ripe；　and　the　professor；　with　all　the　principal

members　of　his　gang；　will　be　in　the　hands　of　the　police。　Then　will

come　the　greatest　criminal　trial　of　the　century；　the　clearing　up　of

over　forty　mysteries；　and　the　rope　for　all　of　them；　but　if　we　move

at　all　prematurely；　you　understand；　they　may　slip　out　of　our　hands

even　at　the　last　moment。

　　〃Now；　if　I　could　have　done　this　without　the　knowledge　of　Professor

Moriarty；　all　would　have　been　well。　But　he　was　too　wily　for　that。　He

saw　every　step　which　I　took　to　draw　my　toils　round　him。　Again　and

again　he　strove　to　break　away；　but　I　as　often　headed　him　off。　I　tell

you；　my　friend；　that　if　a　detailed　account　of　that　silent　contest

could　be　written；　it　would　take　its　place　as　the　most　brilliant　bit　of

thrust…and…parry　work　in　the　history　of　detection。　Never　have　I

risen　to　such　a　height；　and　never　have　I　been　so　hard　pressed　by　an

opponent。　He　cut　deep；　and　yet　I　just　undercut　him。　This　morning　the

last　steps　were　taken；　and　three　days　only　were　wanted　to　complete　the

business。　I　was　sitting　in　my　room　thinking　the　matter　over　when　the

door　ope