A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part I,

Chapter I: Mr. Sherlock Holmes

Summary
The novel opens with Watson giving a first-person narrative about the contemporary
events in his life. He explains that he received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1878 from
the University of London but was immediately assigned to wartime duties as Assistant
Surgeon and sent to Bombay. He then traveled to Candahar. The campaign was quite
unfortunate for him as he was struck by a bullet in the shoulder and had to be dragged back
to British lines by his orderly. He then suffered from typhoid fever.

After he was somewhat healed, his country dispatched him to England to spend some
months nourishing his health. He knew no one in London, but the money he had from the
government allowed him to live a "comfortless, meaningless existence" in an expensive
hotel. His money soon came close to running out and as such he sought a new living
situation.

One day at the Criterion Bar he ran into an old acquaintance named Stamford; Stamford
had been a dresser (a man who dressed wounds on the battlefield) at Barts. Both men were
happy to see a familiar face and began chatting amiably. Watson spoke of his various
misadventures and his current need for a new residence. Stamford replied that another
man at the chemical laboratory where he was working had also told him that very day that
he sought a roommate.
Watson inquired about the details of this man; Stamford explained that Sherlock
Holmes was a very strange man and that while he was not actually a medical student and
"his studies are very desultory and eccentric" he also had "amassed a lot of out-of-the-way
knowledge which would astonish his professors."
Watson was pleased to hear that he potential roommate was studious and quiet, and asked
Stamford to introduce them. Stamford agreed and the two of them made their way to the
hospital. Along the way Stamford spoke more of Holmes; at one point curiously stated that
he would bear no responsibility if the living situation did not work out for Watson. The
latter was surprised at this statement, and prodded Stamford for more information. For
Stamford, Holmes was too scientific and could tend toward cold-bloodedness. He did,
however, have a "passion for definite and exact knowledge" and conducted strange
experiments.

The two men arrived at the laboratory and entered the room where Holmes was working.
As soon as Holmes saw the men entered he jumped up with glee and announced that he
had found "a re-agent that is precipitated by haemoglobin." Stamford introduced Watson to
Holmes, the latter remarking that Watson had clearly been in Afghanistan recently.

Holmes explained the discovery he had made, which was an "infallible test for blood
stains." He demonstrated how it worked and why it was better than the old tests that
existed. He was sure that several criminals who had walked free would have been jailed if
this test had been used. After a few moments Stamford brought Holmes’ attention back to
the situation at hand, stating that Watson was looking for a roommate. Holmes was pleased
and mentioned that he had his eye upon Baker Street.

Watson and Holmes discussed their vices and shortcomings with each other; Holmes said
that he "[got] in the dumps at times, and [didn’t] open [his] mouth for days on end" and
Watson revealed that he was prone to laziness, weak nerves, and ungodly hours for rising.
As the conversation was pleasing to both parties, they agreed to meet the following day and
visit the available rooms.

As Watson and Stamford left the laboratory, Stamford remarked that he was pleased the
two men got along. Watson replied that he enjoyed the mystery of Holmes, and quoted
Alexander Pope: "The proper study of man is man." Stamford's response was that Watson
would find Holmes "a knotty problem, though" and wagered that "he [would learn] more
about you than you about him." The two said goodbye and parted ways.

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part I,

Chapter II: The Science of Deduction
Summary
Watson narrates that he and Holmes were pleased with their new rooms and living
arrangement. Holmes was not difficult to live with, as he had regular hours and was often
out. He did have occasional bouts of lethargy and immobility, which Watson believed were
not related to drugs because of the man's "temperance and cleanliness."

Watson was incredibly interested in Holmes and his mysterious doings; he had a copious
amount of free time while regaining his health as well as a lack of friends in London to
occupy his time. Holmes was clearly not studying medicine, Watson concluded, and he was
not perusing any other degree. His knowledge seemed exact and desultory, focused on
several small things and amazingly lacking in others. In particular, Watson was shocked
that Holmes had never heard of the Copernican discovery of Earth's revolutions around the
sun; Holmes responded that this was because "it is of the highest importance...not to have
useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."

At one point, Watson took up a pen and wrote a list of the different types of knowledge and
marked which ones Holmes seemed conversant in. He knew little to nothing of literature,
philosophy, astronomy, and politics. He had a practical but limited understanding of
geography, a variable understanding of botany, a profound knowledge of chemistry, an
accurate but unsystematic knowledge of anatomy, and an immense knowledge of
sensational literature. Holmes was quite talented on the violin, and seemed to play pieces
of music that reflected his current thoughts, whether gloomy or excited.
Watson believed Holmes to have no friends when they first began their cohabitation, but
soon noticed various individuals from different classes of society visiting him. Holmes
explained that they were his clients but offered no further information.

One morning while Watson was waiting for his breakfast he picked up a magazine from the
table and glanced at an article called "The Book of Life." This article attempted to explain
"how much an observant man might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of
everything that came in his way." A man could look at a drop of water and know what
ocean it came from, or learn a man's calling from his fingernails or coat-sleeve. Watson
scoffed that this article was "ineffable twaddle" and threw it upon the table. He complained
to Holmes, who sat across from him, that the article was irritating and impractical.

Holmes listened to Watson and then told him that he was in fact the author of the article
and that his job was a "consulting detective." This, in essence, meant that he was a private
detective and he endeavored to help government detectives sort out their evidence in
crimes. Those clients he mentioned were people who came to him to ask for "enlightening"
on some problem they had. For more complex cases, Holmes would visit the site itself and
apply his specialized knowledge and powers of observation. To make this clearer, he
explained to Watson how, upon their first meeting, he had known Watson was just from
Afghanistan.

Watson was surprised at these revelations and commented that Holmes reminded him of
Edgar Allen Poe's Dupin and Gaboriau's detective Lecoq. Holmes was disdainful of these
comparisons, not finding them accurate enough or indicative of his own talents. He then
began to complain that he never got to work on any real cases as there were no crimes
being committed.

Watson, becoming annoyed at Holmes’ "bumptious style of conversation," changed the

topic to wondering who a man on the street below was looking for. Holmes glanced at the
man and said that he was a retired sergeant of Marines. Watson was skeptical at this
instantaneous assessment, but had little time to consider it further because the man on the
street came up to their very door. Upon it being opened, the man handed Holmes a letter.
Before he left Watson asked him his profession, and to his amazement the man answered
that he was a sergeant from the Royal Marine Light Infantry.

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part I,

Chapter III: The Lauriston Gardens Mystery
Summary
Watson was shocked by Holmes’ deductive powers; his respect for the man grew
immensely. Upon request, Holmes explained to Watson how he had ascertained the man at
the door was a retired Marine sergeant. He then turned his attention to the letter and
excitedly announced that he was wrong about the dearth of crime in London. He gave the
letter to Watson to read aloud; it seemed that a man was found dead in an empty house in
Lauriston Gardens. A lawman saw a light on in the house, went to investigate, and
discovered a man lying upon the floor with marks of blood in the room but no bodily
wounds. Nothing had been stolen. The man had cards in his pockets with the name Enoch
Drebber from Cleveland, Ohio. The detective from Scotland Yard who wrote the letter
was named Tobias Gregson.
Holmes more or less liked Gregson and another detective, Lestrade, because the two
men, although rivals, were the "pick of a bad lot." Holmes was not initially sure he should
go to the house as Gregson requested because he was the "most incurably lazy devil," but
after some slight prodding from Watson he decided to go observe the scene.
Watson accompanied Holmes to the scene of the crime. In the hansom Watson remarked
that Holmes did not look as if he was giving the matter at hand any thought, and the latter
responded with "no data yet...it is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the
evidence [as] it biases the judgment."

The two men arrived at Number 3, Lauriston Gardens. The house, as Watson observed,
looked rather ill-omened with its vacant and blank windows, dying plants, dull gravel, and
bounding fence. Holmes did not run into the house as Watson supposed he might, but
instead spent time looking around the outside of the property, staring at messy and chaotic
footprints in the mud and occasionally exclaiming in excitement.

Gregson met Watson and Holmes at the door to the house, telling Holmes that he left
everything untouched. Holmes was slightly annoyed at this, retorting that it looked as if a
herd of buffalos had passed through the mud outdoors. Gregson said that he and the other
detectives had done everything they could at the scene but wanted Holmes to take a look.
The men went inside the dark house and came to the room where the incident had
occurred.

The room was empty of furniture, the yellowed wallpaper hung off the wall in strips, a
stump of a burned-out red candle sat atop a fireplace mantle, and the dirty windows made
the light that entered the room hazy. On the floor was a man stretched out; he was of
medium build with dark curly hair and a short beard, wearing a coat and trousers and a top
hat lay on the floor. On his face was an "expression of horror, and, as it seemed to [Watson],
of hatred, such as [he had] never seen upon human features. This malignant and terrible
contortion, combined with the low forehead, blunt nose, and prognathous jaw, gave the
dead man a singularly simious and ape-like appearance..." Watson had never seen a death
like this.

The splashes of blood in the room were from another person, presumably the murderer, as
Holmes deduced. He looked all over the body and eventually concluded that nothing more
could be learned from it. As the body was raised a woman's wedding ring fell off of it onto
the floor. Holmes asked about the man's possessions, which included two letters- one
addressed to the deceased and the other to a Joseph Stangerson at the American
Exchange in the Strand. Both were to return to New York by the Guion Steamship Company.
Gregson had looked into Stangerson and placed an advertisement in the newspaper in
Cleveland asking for information.
Lestrade, who had left the room during this exchange, returned excitedly and claimed to
have made a very significant discovery in room. The party moved to a corner where the
wallpaper was peeling from the wall. In blood-red letters the word RACHE was spelled on
the plaster. Lestrade was proud of his discovery, and concluded that the word was RACHEL
and the writer/murderer did not have time to finish it. He smugly averred "It's all very well
for you to laugh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You may be very smart and clever, but the old
hound is the best, when all is said and done."
Holmes was unperturbed by the man's rudeness but set about examining the room in
detail. Watson watched him in awe as he dashed about with his tape measure and gave
frequent exclamations of delight and comprehension. Lestrade and Gregson also watched
Holmes with a mixture of curiosity and contempt. When he finished, he noted that if he
were to help it would rob them of the credit of the case, but he would like to talk to the
constable who found the body. He would look up this man -John Rance -the following
day.
As Holmes prepared to leave, he offered a portrait of the murderer: tall, middle-aged, small-
footed, smoked cigars, came with the victim in a cab, had a florid face, and long fingernails
on his right hand. The incredulous detectives asked how Drebber was murdered, and
Holmes succinctly answered that it was poison. On his way out he tossed over his shoulder,
"'Rache' is the German word for revenge; so don't waste your time by looking for Miss
Rachel."

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part I,

Chapter IV: What John Rance Had to Tell
Summary
Watson and Holmes left Lauriston Gardens around 1pm; Holmes mailed a telegram and the
two men drove to the home of John Rance. Along the way Holmes explained to Watson
how he had observed the multiple horses' hooves, the height of the murderer, and his age.
He also offered the fact that he knew the writing on the wall was done with the man's
forefinger dipped in blood, and the ash from the cigar was clearly a Trichinolopy brand
because of the nature of the ash. The florid face was more of a gamble, but Holmes did not
tell Watson why he believed that to be the case.
Watson summed up his confusion at the mysteriousness of the case- why the men were in
an empty house?, what happened to their hansom driver?, what was the motive of the
murderer?, why was there a wedding ring?, and what did the word RACHE mean?. Holmes
approved of Watson's summation, and first answered that the word on the wall was merely
a blind to mislead the police. He did not want to add much further, because "you know a
conjurer gets no credit once he has explained his trick; and if I show you too much of my
method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual
after all."
Watson rejoined that Holmes was responsible for bringing the act of detection as close to
an exact science a he had ever seen, and Holmes smiled with pride at the flattering words.
The driver stopped at Audley Court where John Rance lived; it was a sordid and unpleasing
street.

The constable looked irritated at being interrupted from his sleep at first, but soon warmed
to the two men when Holmes gave him a coin. The constable started from the beginning of
the tale, explaining that he was on the late shift and it was very quiet except for a bar fight
earlier. It began to rain and he stood with his fellow constable, Harry Murcher, for awhile
on a corner. He then decided to look around Brixton Road and observed a light on in the
empty house.

Holmes noted that he had walked up to the house and then walked back to the gate; this bit
of information shocked the constable, who had no idea how Holmes knew that. Rance said
he wanted to see if Murcher was around so he would not have to go into the house alone.
The latter was not, so Rance went inside anyway. The house was empty and the candle was
flickering on the mantle. Holmes continued to surprise Rance with his insertions of how
exactly Rance traversed the room.

After Rance saw the body he went outside and sounded his whistle and Murcher and two
others appeared. The only other thing he noted was a very drunk man stumbling about; he
did not arrest him due to the dead body, a much more important manner. Holmes was
curious about this drunken man and asked further questions. Rance said he had a red face
and a long heavy overcoat. Holmes asked if he had a whip in his hand and Rance said no,
upon which Holmes muttered that he must have dropped it.

As Holmes rose to leave he commented to Rance that he would never rise in the ranks of
the force because he had no real powers of observation- "The man whom you held in your
hands is the man who holds the key to this mystery, and whom we are seeking."

Watson and Holmes left, Holmes angrily muttering about how Rance was a fool and missed
that piece of luck. Watson wondered aloud why the man would hang around the house
where the murder was committed, and Holmes clarified that it was because he had come
back for the ring. He then thanked Watson for encouraging him to follow up this "study in
scarlet;" he deemed it such because "there's the scarlet thread of murder running through
the colorless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch
of it."

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part I,

Chapter V: Our Advertisement Brings a Visitor
Summary
When Holmes and Watson returned to the house, Watson laid down to take a nap as his
mind was tumultuous after the events of the morning. He meditated on the grotesque
visage of the dead man and almost thanked the murderer for ridding the world of such a
clearly malignant man. Of course, he did recognize that "justice must be done, and that the
depravity of the victim was no condonement in the eyes of the law."

Watson thought more of the poison which killed Drebber, and remembered that Holmes
had sniffed the man's mouth. Holmes’ "quiet, self-confident manner" was comforting,
however, and Watson looked forward to hearing about his conjectures after he returned
from a concert. When Holmes came in he expressed his feelings that music was perhaps so
moving because the human capacity to produce and appreciate music existed even before
speech.

Watson confessed he was shaken by the events of the morning, even more so than his
experiences in Afghanistan. Holmes agreed that this was understandable since "where
there is no imagination there is no horror." Changing the subject, Holmes told Watson that
he had placed an advertisement in the paper for the lost ring (under Watson's name as to
not arouse suspicion) and told any claimants to come to the apartments between eight and
nine that evening.

Holmes had a facsimile ring ready, and was confident that the man who showed up would
be the murderer. It was clear that "this man would rather risk anything than lose the ring,"
and had pretended to be drunk when he returned to the street where he murdered
Drebber and saw the policemen there. He might believe he lost the ring in the road and
would be pleased to see the advertisement in the paper. There would be no reason to
expect a trap.

Watson would meet with the man, keeping a pistol with him since the man would no doubt
be desperate. Holmes took up his violin for a few minutes, and confided to Watson that he'd
had a response to his American telegram and that his view of the case was the correct one.

The doorbell rang and the servant opened it; the two men heard a "clear but rather harsh"
voice downstairs but were remarkably surprised when the owner of the voice turned out to
be an old woman, not the violent murderer they'd expected! The woman explained that the
ring belonged to her girl Sally, who had recently married a Tom Dennis, a steward aboard a
Union boat, and had lost her wedding ring the last night. Holmes indicated to Watson to
give her the ring, and the two men wished her well.

After she departed, Holmes announced that he would follow her because she was clearly an
accomplice and might lead him to the murderer. Watson waited up for Holmes, perusing a
book since he could not sleep. When Holmes returned his facial expression was a mixture
of "amusement and chagrin," but the former won out and he began to laugh.

He told how he had followed the woman on foot for a while, and then jumped on the back
of her cab when she hailed one to take her the rest of the way. When the cab stopped and
Holmes jumped off, he heard the driver exclaim in anger because there was no longer
anyone in the cab. The woman had jumped out at some point, aware that she was being
followed.
Watson marveled that an old woman could elude Holmes like that, but Holmes exclaimed
"Old woman be damned! We were the old women to be so taken in. It must have been a
young man, and an active one, too, besides being an incomparable actor. The get-up was
imitable." The man knew he was being followed and "gave me the slip." This proved that
the murderer was not completely a solitary figure because he had friends who were willing
to risk a lot for him.

After this tale Holmes remarked that Watson was looking tired, and encouraged him to go
to bed. Watson agreed and turned in, but heard Holmes playing his violin late into the night
as he tried to unravel the mystery.

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part I,

Chapter VI: Tobias Gregson Shows What He Can Do
Summary
The next morning Watson narrated how many of the local papers put forth theories about
the "Brixton Mystery," as they deemed it. Many believed the crime was political in nature,
perhaps with roots in the Liberal Administration or the Socialists. Holmes scoffed
that Lestrade and Gregson were not very effective detectives.
A few moments later, a loud pattering of footsteps was heard in the hall and several young,
ragtag boys burst into the room. Holmes identified them as "the Baker Street division of the
detective police force.” He asked one of them, Wiggins, if they had found "it" and Wiggins
answered in the negative. Holmes paid them and they left; upon their absence Holmes
remarked that they worked harder than the actual police force and could find out more
because no one suspected their espionage abilities.

Gregson was espied outside, bearing "beatitude written upon every feature of his face." He
approached the apartments and was let inside. When he stood before Holmes and Watson
he proclaimed that he had made the whole mystery clear. For a moment Holmes looked
disappointed, but when Gregson announced that the murderer was one Arthur
Charpentier, Holmes looked relieved and smug once more.
Gregson was invited to sit down and commenced his tale of how he had solved the crime.
He first laughed that Lestrade was off after the wrong man, the secretary Joseph
Stangerson, and then began. He explained that he had looked at the hat of the dead man,
which had a label of John Underwood and Sons, 129 Cumberland Road. Holmes nodded
that he had noticed this, which slightly annoyed Gregson, but the detective continued. He
went to Underwood and asked after the hat, learning that it was delivered to a Mr. Drebber
at Charpentier's Boarding Establishment at Torquay Terrace.
Gregson followed this lead to the boarding house, where he spoke with Madame
Charpentier and her daughter Alice. Alice looked as if she wanted to speak further on
the issue, but Madame Charpentier was quite close-lipped. Finally, the daughter said there
was no point in falsehoods, and the mother decided to tell Gregson the truth, even if it
would indict her son Arthur in this murder. She claimed he was utterly innocent but the
facts would make it look as if he was guilty.
Madame Charpentier told Gregson that Drebber had been with them for three weeks.
Drebber and Stangerson were traveling about the Continent and boarded with her. While
Stangerson was quiet and polite, Drebber was vulgar and rude, acting licentiously towards
the servant girls and even Alice. He was not kicked out because Charpentier needed money
and the men were paying handsomely.

One night when he had been too forward with Alice, Madame Charpentier kicked him out.
However, Drebber returned later that night, clearly drunk. He tried to convince Alice to run
away with him, but she was shocked and disgusted. Suddenly, Madame Charpentier's son
Arthur came in. Armed with a club, he fought with Drebber. The latter left and Arthur
assured his mother that Drebber would bother them no more but that he would go out and
follow him to see what he did with himself.

Gregson told Holmes and Watson that he continued to question Madame Charpentier; she
did not know when her son had returned since she was already in bed. He then left the
boarding house, and with the assistance of other officers, arrested Arthur. The young man
knew that he was being arrested for the murder of Drebber but protested he was not the
murderer. Gregson surmised that perhaps Arthur had given Drebber a strong blow to the
stomach which did not leave a mark.

It seemed to Gregson that Arthur was guilty, as he admitted taking a cab after Drebber. He
claimed he had left him and then taken a walk with a fellow shipmate but could not say
where that shipmate lived. Gregson's story came to a conclusion, and about the same time
Lestrade showed up at the door.

When Lestrade entered the room his dress and his expression revealed intense
perturbation. He seemed embarrassed at seeing Gregson, as if he had come to consult only
with Holmes. Gregson arrogantly asked whether or not he had managed to find the
secretary Stangerson, and Lestrade stated gravely, "The secretary Joseph Stangerson...was
murdered at Halliday's Private Hotel about six o'clock this morning."

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part I,

Chapter VII: Light in the Darkness
Summary
All three men were utterly dumbfounded by Lestrade's pronouncement that Stangerson
was murdered. Lestrade sat down, and Holmes asked him to tell of what he had discovered.
Lestrade began by explaining that he was sure Stangerson had been involved in the
murderer of Drebber, and set about figuring out more about him. It was clear that
Stangerson and Drebber had been together earlier in the day of Drebber's murder, but
Stangerson's whereabouts were unknown from 8:30 to the time of the murder.
Lestrade called on hotels and lodging-houses and finally lucked out when he questioned the
proprietor at Halliday's Private Hotel on Little George Street. The man told Lestrade
Stangerson had been expecting another man for two days now, and assumed Lestrade was
he. Lestrade and the man went upstairs to Stangerson's quarters and prepared to knock on
the door when Lestrade suddenly glimpsed a rivulet of blood coming from under
Stangerson's door. The men burst into the room and espied Stangerson lying dead and cold
on the floor, with the cause of death a deep stab on the man's left side that had entered the
heart. Most terrifying, however, was that the word RACHE was written in blood upon the
wall.

All the men in the Baker Street apartments were quiet and shocked. Lestrade continued his
tale, saying that he spoke with a young boy who had witnessed a man leaving by ladder
from the window of Stangerson's apartment, but assumed that he was a carpenter or joiner
at the hotel. The boy said the man was "tall, had a reddish face, and was dressed in a long
brownish coat." He had clearly stayed in the room for a bit after the murder because there
was bloody water in the wash basin and marks of the bloody knife on the sheets.

The only things found in the room were Drebber's purse with money that was unmolested,
a telegram that said "J.H. is in Europe," and a small box with a few pills in them next to a
glass of water on the table. At this news of the pills Holmes jumped from his seat and loudly
exclaimed, "The last link... my case is complete."

Holmes excitedly told the group that he now had all the threads of the case to make a
tangle, and even though there may be some small details lacking, he had the main facts. He
asked if Lestrade had the pills, and when the latter said yes, picked them up and examined
them. Watson noted that they were small, light gray, round, almost transparent, and clearly
water-soluble. Holmes asked Watson to go downstairs and retrieve a dog that their
landlady told them was very sick and needed to be put out of its misery.

Watson returned with the dog, Holmes took a pill and cut it in half, dissolved one half in
water with some milk to make it palatable, and placed it before the dog. The dog lapped it
up but nothing happened, and Holmes grew frustrated. After a few moments of
consternation understanding dawned upon his face and he took the other pill from the
container and did the same thing. This time, the dog had only barely licked the water when
he gave a shiver and died suddenly. At this Holmes said exultantly, "I ought to know by this
time that when a fact appears to be opposed to a long train of deductions, it invariably
proves to be capable of bearing some other interpretation." One of the pills was poison, the
other a placebo.

Holmes told his nonplussed companions that they were no doubt all perplexed because
none of them seized upon the one important fact from the case that he had; "hence things
which have perplexed you and made the case more obscure have served to enlighten me
and to strengthen my conclusions. It is a mistake to confound strangeness with mystery.
The most commonplace crime is often the most mysterious, because it presents no new or
special features from which deductions may be drawn."

After listening impatiently to this speech Gregson demanded Holmes to tell him what he
had discovered, conceding that Holmes did have a special gift for deduction. Holmes replied
that the man would commit no more murders in the interim, that he was shrewd and
desperate, that he had no idea the law was after him, and that Holmes could not yet tell
them who the man was and that the others needed to trust Holmes on the matter.
Young Wiggins knocked on the door and informed Holmes the cab was ready for him.
Holmes thanked him and took out a pair of handcuffs, showing them to his companions for
their admiration. Watson narrated that he knew nothing regarding Holmes going on a trip,
and wondered at the cab's presence. The driver entered the room and Holmes asked him to
assist him with his luggage. As soon as the man, grumbling, bent over, Holmes clamped the
handcuffs on him and triumphantly announced that this man, Mr. Jefferson Hope, was
the murderer of Stangerson and Drebber.
Jefferson Hope mightily struggled with all four men, whose combined strength was barely
enough to subdue him. Holmes suggested taking the cab to Scotland Yard to deliver the
captive, and told the other men they could now ask him any questions they wanted about
the case and his deductive process.

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part II,

Chapter IV: A Flight for Life
Summary
The next day Ferrier gave the message to Hope to an acquaintance who was setting out for
Nevada, stressing the urgency of the contents. When he returned to his home he saw that
two young men were in his sitting room. One had a long pale face and the other was "a bull-
necked youth with coarse, bloated features." The former was the son of Elder Stangerson,
the latter the son of Elder Drebber. Stangerson explained that they were there to seek the
hand of his daughter; he claimed that he deserved her because he only had four wives and
Drebber had seven, but Drebber retorted that he had better financial prospects.

Ferrier was enraged at their presumptuousness and ordered them to leave his home until
Lucy summoned them. They were aghast at his rudeness, especially when he told them the
way out of his house could be through the door or the window. They cried out that Ferrier
had defiled the Prophet and the Council of Four and would regret his insulting manner.
Ferrier was about to rush for his gun when Lucy stopped him with soothing words and a
reminder that Hope would soon come for them.

Ferrier knew his behavior was problematic, reflecting that "in the whole history of the
settlement there had ever been such a case of rank disobedience to the authority of the
Elders." Even men richer than him had gone missing. He tried to put on a brave front for his
daughter, but she saw through his facade.
The next morning he woke up and found a note pinned to the coverlet over his breast that
said "Twenty-nine days are given you for amendment, and then –" This was terrifying in its
ambiguity, as well as the fact that Ferrier had no idea how anyone entered the house
undetected. The next morning there was a number 28 scratched on the ceiling, and the next
found a number 27 painted upon the front door. The Ferriers never heard or glimpsed
anyone.

The numbers continued to appear every day as they counted down the days until Lucy had
to make her decision. They instilled a "horror which was almost superstitious" upon
Ferrier, and he could only wait for young Jefferson Hope to return. As the days got
lower and lower, moving past 4 and 3 and finally arriving at 2, Ferrier resolved that the
hunter was not coming but that he would still rather die than let Lucy be dishonored.
As he sat disconsolately on the evening before the last day, he pondered what would
become of his daughter when he was gone. He began to hear a scratching sound outside the
door of the house and a gentle tapping. He got up and went into the hall and opened the
door, wondering if he was about to be ambushed by his enemies. To his surprise, when he
looked down he saw a man lying spread out on his stomach; the man continued to wriggle
on the ground into the house and finally jumped up to reveal the personage of Jefferson
Hope.

Ferrier was shocked, but quickly acceded to Hope's demands for food and water, as he had
not imbibed for 48 hours. After he had eaten Hope asked after Lucy and explained that his
odd method of entering the house was the only way he would not be detected. The house
was being watched on every side. Despite this information, Hope felt better now that his
ally was here.

Hope told Ferrier he had a mule and two horses waiting in the ravine and that they would
push to Carson City, Nevada through the mountains. Ferrier woke up Lucy and Hope
packed as much water as he could. The lovers had a brief reunion and then the three
prepared to leave the house.

Hope explained that they would have to leave through the side windows and run across the
fields to the road, where they would then need to travel two miles to the ravine where their
mounts were waiting. Lights in the house were extinguished and the escapees crawled out
through the windows into the calm and cool night air. As they moved across the cornfield
Hope suddenly pulled them down into the shadows. His keen hearing had picked up the
hooting of an owl, answered by more hooting.

One figure emerged and said "tomorrow at midnight." The other agreed and asked if they
should tell Brother Drebber. The first man said yes, and then said "Nine to seven!" the
second man replied, "Seven to five!" this was a sign of some sorts. When the men departed
Hope guided his companions out across the fields as fast as they could go.

They finally reached the ravine and mounted their animals. Only a hunter as skilled as
Hope could attempt this confusing and menacing path through craggy cliffs and massive
boulders and narrow pathways. At the most dangerous part of the pathway they suddenly
saw a single sentinel on an overhanging rock. This man immediately asked "Who goes
there?" Hope replied that they were travelers to Nevada. The sentinel asked with whose
permission, and Ferrier responded which a phrase he knew –"The Holy Four." The sentinel
then said "Nine to seven!" and Hope cleverly answered with "Seven to five" and the sentinel
let them proceed. Finally, "they had passed the outlying post of the chosen people,
and...freedom lay before them."

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part II,

Chapter V: The Avenging Angels
Summary
The travelers continued through the treacherous wilderness even though they were
exhausted. Hope pressed the Ferriers onward, exhorting them to remember that their
enemies were no doubt already on their tail. They saw no one, however, and hoped that
they would make it out of the mountains safely.

The afternoon of the second day saw their provisions begin to run out, so Hope decided to
leave Lucy and her father with the horses and look for an animal to hunt. After walking for
a few miles through the twisting ravine he espied a bighorn and was able to shoot it. As it
was too heavy to carry, he cut off some pieces and headed back. Unfortunately, the ravine
pathways were so similar that he could not exactly recall which path would lead him back
to the Ferriers. Night was coming and he was no closer to finding his way.

Finally, after being gone for about five hours he found his way to familiar territory. Giving a
loud cry to alert the Ferriers of his imminent presence, he was disturbed when it merely
echoed back at him unanswered. He began to dread what he would find when he got back
to the fire. His fears became a reality when he arrived at only the smoldering remains of the
fire, with no horses or human beings in sight. It was obvious that "some sudden and
terrible disaster had occurred during his absence –a disaster which had embraced them all,
and yet left no traces behind it."

Shaking himself out of his bewilderment, Hope investigated the camp and observed the
many hoof prints of multiple riders whose path clearly took them back to Salt Lake City.
There was also a newly dug grave with the inscription on a piece of paper –"JOHN FERRIER,
formerly of Salt Lake City, Died August 4th." There was no grave for Lucy; she had clearly
been taken back to the city of Elect to assume her fate as one of the wives of Drebber or
Stangerson. Hope was disconsolate at this, but almost immediately resolved that he would
devote his life to revenge. He could apply his "strong will and untiring energy" to that one
end.

Hope toiled through the ravine back to a point where he could overlook Salt Lake City.
There were clearly some festivities occurring that day, he observed, and wondering what
was going on. His reverie was interrupted by a solitary rider, whom he recognized as an old
Mormon acquaintance named Cowper. He accosted Cowper for news of Lucy Ferrier.
Cowper was stricken and was nervous to speak with Hope, but after being pressed,
informed Hope that the festivities were celebrating Lucy's marriage to young Enoch
Drebber. Stangerson had shot her father and said his claim was better, but Drebber's
party in the Council was stronger, and Young awarded Lucy to him. After Cowper bid Hope
adieu, Hope slunk away into the mountains.
Lucy pined away and died within a month of her wedding. This was not entirely distressing
to Drebber, who had only really wanted her money. Drebber's other wives prepared her for
burial; while they were doing so, they were shocked when Jefferson Hope burst into the
room and kissed Lucy's brow and removed her wedding ring. He left before an alarm could
be raised.
Hope lived in the nearby wilderness, and scared Drebber and Stangerson with attempts on
their lives. Once a bullet went through Stangerson's window and almost hit him, on another
day a boulder nearly crashed down upon Drebber as he passed by a cliff. The two men kept
up a guard from thenceforth and never went anywhere alone.

Years passed and Hope stayed out of site. His rage had not cooled, however –it was even
stronger after being nursed for so long. He stayed out of sight to gain money to pursue his
object of revenge. After about five years he returned to Salt Lake City and was shocked to
learn that a schism among the Chosen People led to the secession of many, including
Drebber and Stangerson. There were no clues as to their whereabouts.

Even though most men would have abandoned this as a lost cause, Hope was undaunted.
He spent years tracking them down and was finally rewarded when he learned Drebber
was in Cleveland. Drebber actually caught sight of Hope in that town and hurried away
from his would-be murderer. Stangerson was now his secretary, and the two of them had
Jefferson Hope arrested. He was detained for two weeks on account of not being able to
post bail, and when he was released he discovered his two enemies had fled for Europe.

Hope continued to save money and tracked them all over Europe. He was always a step
behind until he finally caught up with them in London. The rest of the story would now be
told from Dr. Watson's journal.

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part II,

Chapter VI: A Continuation of the Reminiscences of
John Watson MD
Summary
Once the prisoner found himself powerless, he stopped resisting and told his captors that
he would walk down to the cab and would willingly get in. The men were surprised at his
attitude, as well as his massively, powerfully-built frame. The prisoner was brought to the
police headquarters and the name of the prisoner was taken down. Jefferson Hope was
informed he would be put before the magistrates in a week, but he could speak a few words
now.
Hope replied that he had many words to speak and did not need to wait until his trial. He
said that he would not even be tried, which surprised his captors. Hope asked Watson to
put his ear to his chest; the doctor listened and then burst out, "Why...you have an aortic
aneurism!" Quite calmly, Hope acknowledged the truth of this, explaining that he got it
from years of overexposure and underfeeding in the mountains and that he would no doubt
be dead very soon. It was important to him to leave an account of his crimes so the world
did not think him merely a "common cut-throat."

With the assent of the inspector and detectives, Hope settled down to tell his tale. He spoke
calmly and methodically, and Watson vouched for the validity of his own journal's
accounting of this, as he had access to Lestrade's notebook.
Hope explained that the two men were guilty of the deaths of a father and daughter. The
statute of limitations had run out and they could never be held legally accountable for their
actions. Thus, it was necessary for him to be "judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into
one." Any other man would have done the same. The girl had been married to Drebber
twenty-one years ago and died of a broken heart. Hope took her ring and viewed revenge.
As the men he followed were rich and he was poor, this was not as easy as he had hoped.

He followed them throughout London, but soon realized he needed a job to put money in
his pockets. He knew driving and riding came naturally to him so he applied to be a cab-
driver. He managed to scrape by on this small salary, soon learning all the roads and
byways of the tangled city. To his delight he finally learned that Stangerson and Drebber
were staying at a boardinghouse. They were still quite cunning, however, and must have
surmised they were being followed, as they never went anywhere alone. While Drebber
was a drunk, Stangerson was quite alert.

One night while observing their street, Hope saw another cab stop at their house and both
men got in with their luggage. They headed toward the train station and asked after a
Liverpool train. Hope was pleased when the men learned they had just missed it. Drebber
told Stangerson he had some business to do and that they should split up for the time
being. Stangerson was unhappy at this suggestion but after an argument, this was what
occurred.

Hope was elated, for his moment of retribution had finally come. He could not be too
precipitous, however, for "there is no satisfaction in vengeance unless the offender has time
to realize who it is that strikes him, and why retribution has come upon him." Hope
remembered that a few days previous a man who lived on Brixton Road had dropped a key
in his cab and Hope had made a copy of it. The empty house would be perfect for the
murder.

Drebber came out of the bar where he was drinking, got into a cab, and proceeded back to
the boardinghouse. Hope witnessed Drebber's altercation with Arthur, and then, stumbling
into the street, got into Hope's cab. Hope was thrilled, but bided his time and took Drebber
to the bar that he requested. Hope explained to his listeners that he was not planning on
killing Drebber in cold blood, but that he had pills that he had formed himself from a poison
he learned about while working as a janitor at a college. The pills would be a much better
and less violent death for his enemies.

When Drebber got back into the cab, besotted with drink, he did not even notice when
Hope drove him to Brixton Road. Hope helped Drebber out and the two men went into the
dark empty house, Hope lighting a candle he had brought. As soon as the match was struck
Hope looked at Drebber and said "Now, Enoch Drebber...who am I?" Horror spread
across Drebber's face when he recognized his foe.
Hope was filled with contentment as the imminent revenge he had so long desired. He
accused Drebber of Lucy's murder by broken heart and watched with pleasure as Drebber
cowered in fear. Hope then told him that God would decide who was to be vindicated; he
took out both pills and explained that one was poison and one was a placebo and that
whichever one Drebber took, he would take the other. Drebber's cries for mercy did not
avail him and he finally chose one of the pills. Fortunately for Hope, Drebber chose the
poison and died within minutes, his face contorted.

Hope had a bloody nose that he had not noticed while this was occurring, and to mislead
and tease the police he wrote RACHE on the wall with a finger dipped in blood. He departed
the house but was despondent to learn that somewhere along the way he had dropped the
beloved ring. When he returned and saw the police he pretended to be drunk.

As for Stangerson, Hope climbed up a ladder into his room. He told Stangerson to account
for the deaths and put the same choice of pills to him. However, Stangerson attacked Hope
and the latter was forced to stab him in self-defense.

After the murders Hope continued to drive the cab for a few days. One day a young street
boy came up to him and told him a Sherlock Holmes requested his cab at 221B Baker
Street. Thinking nothing of this, Hope went to the address. That was the end of his tale. It
was told in such a fashion that all the listeners were left dumbstruck and silent at its close.
Holmes finally asked who Hope's accomplice was who had come to pick up the ring, but
Hope smiled and said he would not get his friend into trouble. Holmes agreed with Hope
that the friend had behaved quite smartly. The conversation was finally ended when the
inspector said it was time to comply with the forms of the law and put Jefferson Hope into
prison. Holmes and Watson returned to Baker Street.

A Study in Scarlet Summary and Analysis of Part II,

Chapter VII: The Conclusion
Summary
Jefferson Hope's aneurism burst that evening; he was found in his cell, dead, with a
placid expression upon his face. After a few pensive moments following the news, Holmes
brightened and commenced explaining to Watson how he had put the pieces of the case
together and found the murderer within three days.
His skill centered upon being able to reason backwards rather than look at a chain of
events and predict what they would lead to. The latter was a common skill but reasoning
backwards was very rare and quite useful indeed. In this case Holmes put this strategy to
effect.

When Holmes first arrived at the murder scene he noted the marks of a cab and deduced
that it was there during the night. The footsteps in the yard revealed two men –one that
was very tall (because of the long stride) and one that was fashionably dressed (because of
the neat little boots). Inside, the well-dressed one was found dead. Holmes smelled poison
upon him and saw that his contorted face was a result of the poison.

This crime was not committed for robbery, so it must have been political or for a woman.
Political motivation was soon dropped, for "political assassins are glad to do their work and
then fly." This must have been a private matter, not a public one. The word in blood on the
wall was no doubt a blind. The ring of course answered the question, especially when
Holmes learned the man came back for it.

Looking around the room at the clues Holmes learned more about the murderer. After he
left he telephoned Cleveland and asked about a marriage of Enoch Drebber. He learned
that Drebber had once invoked the protection of the law against a Jefferson Hope, a "rival in
love" who was now in Europe as well. The man in the cab was no doubt Jefferson Hope;
being a cab driver was an excellent way to follow someone in London.
Hope would not want to draw attention to himself by leaving his profession right away, so
he would continue to drive the cab for a few days. Holmes sent his street urchin gang to
every cab proprietor in London until he found the one Hope worked for. The murder of
Stangerson was unforeseen, but could hardly have been prevented. Through that he came
into contact with the pills.

Watson warmly lauded Holmes for his detective prowess and encouraged him to publish an
account of the case. Holmes told Watson he could do as he pleased and handed him the
paper. In it was a paragraph about the case they had just solved.

The paper lamented that the true facts of the case may never be known because of Hope's
death, but that "we are informed upon good authority that the crime was the result of an
old-standing and romantic feud, in which love and Mormonism bore a part." It
said Lestrade and Gregson were responsible for the capture, and that an amateur
named Sherlock Holmes helped and might someday "attain to some degree of their
skill."
Holmes laughed at that, and reminded Watson of when they started this whole affair he had
warned him of this –"that's the result of all our Study in Scarlet; to get them a testimonial!"
Watson told him that he had all of the facts in his journal and would make them known to
the public. In the meantime he should remember the Latin words of the Roman miser that
said "the public hiss at me, but I cheer myself when in my own house I contemplate the
coins in my strong-box.
Review
I loved the writing in A Study in Scarlet. The dialogue was catchy and
natural. I found the book surprisingly easy to read especially considering
how old it is. The thing that really stands out in this book and th e thing that
has made it last for so long are the characters. Sherlock is very cheerful,
eccentric, sarcastic, loves to be flattered, and is bluntly honest. And of
course the thing that makes his character so fun to watch on TV in the
modern adaptation – his cocky genius. I couldn’t hate this guy if I tried. I
loved seeing these two iconic characters meet (Sherlock and Watson) to set
the stage for the rest of the Sherlock Holmes series.

The first half of this book was a fascinating mystery. I was glued to the
story, turning pages, dying to know what happens next. Then we get to Part
2. The second half of the book was the longest, most drawn out and boring
flashback I have ever read. We find out the solution to the mystery at the end
of Part 1. Part 2 goes into why he did it.