Three years had certainly not smoothed the asperities of his temper
or his impatience with a less active intelligence than his own.
"Of course it has moved," said he. "Am I such a farcical
bungler, Watson, that I should erect an obvious dummy and expect
that some of the sharpest men in Europe would be deceived by it?
We have been in this room two hours, and Mrs. Hudson has made
some change in that figure eight times, or once in every quarter
of an hour. She works it from the front so that her shadow may
never be seen. Ah!" He drew in his breath with a shrill,
excited intake. In the dim light I saw his head thrown forward,
his whole attitude rigid with attention. Outside, the street
was absolutely deserted. Those two men might still be crouching
in the doorway, but I could no longer see them. All was still
and dark, save only that brilliant yellow screen in front of us
with the black figure outlined upon its centre. Again in the
utter silence I heard that thin, sibilant note which spoke of
intense suppressed excitement. An instant later he pulled me
back into the blackest corner of the room, and I felt his
warning hand upon my lips.
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