51 words to know before reading The Return of Sherlock Holmes

1. Worthy of attention; striking or unusual.
2. Exceptionally good or impressive.

without leaving traces. Suppose a man had fired through the window, he would indeed be a remarkable shot who could with a revolver inflict so deadly a wound. Again, Park Lane is a frequented

1. A fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
2. The main character in the "Sherlock Holmes" series.

clearly than I had ever done the loss which the community had sustained by the death of Sherlock Holmes. There were points about this strange business which would, I was sure, have specially

1. A surname of English origin, famously associated with Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective.
2. Slang term for a detective or investigator, inspired by Sherlock Holmes.

upon the third of last month. It can be imagined that my close intimacy with Sherlock Holmes had interested me deeply in crime, and that after his disappearance I never failed to read with

1. A handgun with a revolving cylinder holding multiple bullets.
2. A person or thing that revolves or turns.

a man had fired through the window, he would indeed be a remarkable shot who could with a revolver inflict so deadly a wound. Again, Park Lane is a frequented thoroughfare; there is a cab stand

1. Used to emphasize a statement or response.
2. Truly or certainly (often expressing agreement).

be so affected.” I gripped him by the arms. “Holmes!” I cried. “Is it really you? Can it indeed be that you are alive? Is it possible that you succeeded in climbing out of that awful abyss?”

1. A narrow horizontal surface projecting from a wall or cliff.
2. A ridge or shelf of rock.

of the rock, I thought that I was gone. But I struggled upward, and at last I reached a ledge several feet deep and covered with soft green moss, where I could lie unseen, in the most perfect

1. (Medical) Harmful, cancerous, or tending to worsen, as in malignant tumors.
2. (General) Extremely malevolent or harmful in influence or effect.

and peering at us and at the smouldering fire. It was an odious face—crafty, vicious, malignant, with shifty, light-gray eyes and white lashes. “What’s this, then?” said Lestrade, at last.

1. Officers of the peace with limited policing authority.
2. Low-ranking police officers in some jurisdictions.

guns. The parallel is exact.” Colonel Moran sprang forward with a snarl of rage, but the constables dragged him back. The fury upon his face was terrible to look at. “I confess that you had one

1. A person who travels on foot from place to place, often without a home or job.
2. To walk heavily or noisily.

which he observes there, kills Oldacre, and departs after burning the body.” “Why should the tramp burn the body?” “For the matter of that, why should McFarlane?” “To hide some evidence.”

1. A long passage in a building with doors leading to rooms on either side.
2. A narrow strip of land connecting two larger areas.

were unfurnished, but none the less Holmes inspected them all minutely. Finally, on the top corridor, which ran outside three untenanted bedrooms, he again was seized with a spasm of merriment.

1. A soft, white, porous limestone used for writing or drawing.
2. A stick of chalk used on blackboards or sidewalks.

between your left finger and thumb when you returned from the club last night. 2. You put chalk there when you play billiards, to steady the cue. 3. You never play billiards except with

1. A small village or hamlet (chiefly in place names).
2. A suffix in English place names, often indicating a former settlement.

it be for the gallows.” Holmes’s brow was dark with anxiety. “We are going to Riding Thorpe Manor,” said he, “but we have heard nothing of what has passed there.” “It’s a terrible

1. A large country house with lands.
2. The main house of an estate.

two old brick and timber gables which projected from a grove of trees. “That’s Riding Thorpe Manor,” said he. As we drove up to the porticoed front door, I observed in front of it, beside the

1. A small flowering plant with purple, blue, or white petals.
2. A shade of purple resembling the color of the flower.

the end of my manuscript dealing with this case, in which I have put it upon record that Miss Violet Smith did indeed inherit a large fortune, and that she is now the wife of Cyril Morton, the

1. An area of open uncultivated land with poor soil, typically covered with low shrubs.
2. A small flowering shrub, especially of the genus Erica.

took a footpath on one side or the other.” “It could not have been on the side of the heath, or I should have seen him.” “So, by the process of exclusion, we arrive at the fact that he made

1. A fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs.
2. A means of protection or defense against financial loss.

Nothing was to be seen save that some body or bundle had been dragged through a low privet hedge which is in a line with the woodpile. All that, of course, fits in with the official theory. I

1. A violent, lawless person; a thug or bully.
2. A tough or rowdy individual, often involved in criminal activities.

viewed very gravely by the court, since Woodley had the reputation of being a most dangerous ruffian, and I think that a few months were sufficient to satisfy the demands of justice.

1. A person legally entitled to inherit property or a title.
2. A successor in a position or role.

that there was a great deal which was unreasoning and fanatical in the hatred which he bore my heir. In his view he should himself have been heir of all my estates, and he deeply resented those

1. A diagonal cross resembling the letter X, often used in heraldry.
2. A cross with diagonal bars, such as the one on the flag of Scotland.

1900. Married Edith, daughter of Sir Charles Appledore, 1888. Heir and only child, Lord Saltire. Owns about two hundred and fifty thousand acres. Minerals in Lancashire and Wales. Address:

1. A request for information or an official investigation.
2. The act of asking questions to gain knowledge or understanding.

at the absence of the master of the establishment from the scene of the fire, and an inquiry followed, which showed that he had disappeared from the house. An examination of his room

1. A boy or young man (informal).
2. A lively or mischievous young man.

me. That’s God’s truth, gentlemen, every word of it, and I heard no more about it until that lad came riding up with a note which made me walk in here, like a jay, and give myself into your

1. A small bag or container, often made of fabric or leather.
2. A pocket-like structure in some animals, like kangaroos, for carrying young.

the report of the inquest, with some care. By the way, what do you make of that tobacco pouch, found on the scene of the crime? Is there no clue there?” Hopkins looked surprised. “It was the

1. A mythical horse-like creature with a single horn on its forehead.
2. A startup company valued at over $1 billion.

there, and there was a vacant place for the third. On the stock was engraved ‘S.S. Sea Unicorn, Dundee.’ This seemed to establish that the crime had been done in a moment of fury, and that the

1. A small, simple shelter or dwelling, often made of wood or other natural materials.
2. A temporary or basic structure used for camping or storage.

blade was needed to push it back. Holmes also suggested that we should wait, not inside the hut, but outside it, among the bushes which grew round the farther window. In this way we should be

1. A long spear-like weapon used for hunting large fish or marine mammals.
2. To strike or catch with a harpoon.

Hopkins, and that is that it is intrinsically impossible. Have you tried to drive a harpoon through a body? No? Tut, tut my dear sir, you must really pay attention to these details. My

1. An alcoholic drink made from sugarcane or molasses.
2. A card game where players try to match cards in sets or runs.

said Holmes; “I think that both inferences are permissible. Was there any other spirit but rum in the room?” “Yes, there was a tantalus containing brandy and whisky on the sea-chest. It is of

1. Easily damaged or fragile.
2. Requiring careful handling or tact.

and choosing his tool with the calm, scientific accuracy of a surgeon who performs a delicate operation. I knew that the opening of safes was a particular hobby with him, and I understood the

1. A roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor.
2. An open-air gallery or porch, often partly enclosed by a railing.

at so strange an hour never occurred to me until a faint sound reached my ears from the veranda outside. Milverton dropped his papers and sat rigid in his chair. The sound was repeated, and

1. A French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution (1769–1821).
2. A layered pastry filled with cream or custard.

shop for an instant, when he heard a crash, and hurrying in he found a plaster bust of Napoleon, which stood with several other works of art upon the counter, lying shivered into fragments. He

1. A system of dots and dashes used in telegraphy (Morse code).
2. A type of whale (also called a walrus).

from its pages. “The first case reported was four days ago,” said he. “It was at the shop of Morse Hudson, who has a place for the sale of pictures and statues in the Kennington Road. The

1. A soft mixture of lime, sand, and water used for coating walls and ceilings.
2. A medical dressing applied to protect or support an injured body part.

of the French Emperor. Some little time ago he purchased from Morse Hudson two duplicate plaster casts of the famous head of Napoleon by the French sculptor, Devine. One of these he placed in

1. Small, broken pieces of something.
2. Incomplete parts of a whole.

which stood with several other works of art upon the counter, lying shivered into fragments. He rushed out into the road, but, although several passersby declared that they had noticed a

1. A person who teaches or instructs, often individually or in small groups.
2. A private teacher who provides extra help outside of regular classes.

Here it was that one evening we received a visit from an acquaintance, Mr. Hilton Soames, tutor and lecturer at the College of St. Luke’s. Mr. Soames was a tall, spare man, of a nervous and

1. A state of nervous excitement or unrest.
2. The act of stirring or shaking something vigorously.

and the street gradually cleared, he paced up and down the room in uncontrollable agitation. I was about to make some remark to him, when I raised my eyes to the lighted window, and again

1. A handrail supported by posts, typically along a staircase.
2. The upright posts supporting a handrail.

man might very well run a risk in order to gain an advantage over his fellows. “Bannister was very much upset by the incident. He had nearly fainted when we found that the papers had

1. Interfered with or altered improperly, often to damage or falsify.
2. Meddled or played with something without permission.

action tonight. I cannot allow the examination to be held if one of the papers has been tampered with. The situation must be faced.” “You must leave it as it is. I shall drop round early

1. In the presence of; before (a person or authority).
2. (Legal) A hearing or trial conducted in front of a judge or court.

country house, Yoxley Old Place, was taken by an elderly man, who gave the name of Professor Coram. He was an invalid, keeping his bed half the time, and the other half hobbling round the house

1. A female domestic servant who cleans and maintains a household.
2. A young unmarried woman (archaic or poetic).

than ever, I retraced my steps to Kensington. I had not been in my study five minutes when the maid entered to say that a person desired to see me. To my astonishment it was none other than my

1. The reflexive form of "you," referring to the person being addressed.
2. Used to emphasize the subject "you."

that you would not have written so convincing an account of my unhappy end had you not yourself thought that it was true. Several times during the last three years I have taken up my pen to

1. An office or organization for specific tasks.
2. A chest of drawers for storing clothes.

her taking, it would surely have been locked up. No, it was for something in that wooden bureau. Halloa! what is that scratch upon the face of it? Just hold a match, Watson. Why did you not

1. A message sent by telegraph and then delivered in written or printed form.
2. A popular messaging app known for its speed and security features.

and walked up and down the room rubbing his hands together. Then he wrote a long telegram upon a cable form. “If my answer to this is as I hope, you will have a very pretty case to add to

1. A person employed to carry luggage and other loads.
2. A dark brown beer brewed from malt.

the man who was waiting in the hall, and the two of them went off together. The last that the porter saw of them, they were almost running down the street in the direction of the Strand. This

1. A small establishment providing lodging, food, and drink (often in a rural setting).
2. A tavern or pub.

and to occupy my mind as best I may. Whether I have the shelter of your roof or of the village inn is, of course, for you to decide.” I could see that the unfortunate doctor was in the last stage

1. A closed horse-drawn carriage with four wheels, named after Lord Brougham.
2. A type of luxury automobile body style, resembling the carriage.

have each been explored, and have each proved disappointing. The daily appearance of a brougham and pair could hardly have been overlooked in such Sleepy Hollows. The doctor has scored once

1. A monastery or convent governed by an abbot or abbess.
2. The church or buildings associated with such a religious community.

The Adventure of the Abbey Grange It was on a bitterly cold and frosty morning, towards the end of the winter of ’97, that I

1. A farmhouse with outbuildings.
2. A country house or estate.

on my bicycle to Farnham Station, in order to get the 12:22 to town. The road from Chiltern Grange is a lonely one, and at one spot it is particularly so, for it lies for over a mile between

1. People who illegally enter buildings to commit theft or other crimes.
2. Those who break into homes or properties with intent to steal.

in her story which, if we looked at in cold blood, would excite our suspicion. These burglars made a considerable haul at Sydenham a fortnight ago. Some account of them and of their

1. A mark or discoloration left on a surface.
2. A dye or chemical used to color materials.

he. “Now look at this.” With dramatic suddenness he struck a match, and by its light exposed a stain of blood upon the whitewashed wall. As he held the match nearer, I saw that it was more than a

1. To send off quickly or promptly.
2. An official report or message sent with urgency.

across each evening to my house in Whitehall Terrace, and kept it in my bedroom in a locked despatch-box. It was there last night. Of that I am certain. I actually opened the box while I was

1. A person employed to park cars, typically at a hotel or restaurant.
2. A manservant who takes care of personal needs, like clothing or luggage.

“Let us presume, for argument’s sake, that the document was taken by the maid or by the valet—” “They are both old and tried servants.” “I understand you to say that your room is on the

1. A flat paper container for a letter or document.
2. The outer covering of a virus or cell.

heavens! what is this? Lord Bellinger! Lord Bellinger!” The Premier snatched the blue envelope from his hand. “Yes, it is it—and the letter is intact. Hope, I congratulate you.” “Thank you!