But the landlady had the pertinacity and also the cunning of her
sex. She held her ground firmly.
"You arranged an affair for a lodger of mine last year," she
said--"Mr. Fairdale Hobbs."
"Ah, yes--a simple matter."
"But he would never cease talking of it--your kindness, sir, and
the way in which you brought light into the darkness. I
remembered his words when I was in doubt and darkness myself. I
know you could if you only would."
Holmes was accessible upon the side of flattery, and also, to do
him justice, upon the side of kindliness. The two forces made
him lay down his gum-brush with a sigh of resignation and push
back his chair.
"Well, well, Mrs. Warren, let us hear about it, then. You don't
object to tobacco, I take it? Thank you, Watson--the matches!
You are uneasy, as I understand, because your new lodger remains
in his rooms and you cannot see him. Why, bless you, Mrs.
Warren, if I were your lodger you often would not see me for
weeks on end."
"No doubt, sir; but this is different. It frightens me, Mr.
Holmes. I can't sleep for fright. To hear his quick step moving
here and moving there from early morning to late at night, and
yet never to catch so much as a glimpse of him--it's more than I
can stand. My husband is as nervous over it as I am, but he is
out at his work all day, while I get no rest from it.
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