“I do not know whether it came from his own innate depravity or from the promptings of his master, but he was rude enough to set a dog at me. Neither dog nor man liked the look of my stick, however, and the matter fell through. Relations were strained after that, and further inquiries out of the question.”
—The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter
“Experience may be of value, you know; you have only to put it into words to gain the reputation of being excellent company for the remainder of your existence.”
—The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb
“One has to be discreet when one talks of high matters of state.”
—The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans
“If you approach me, Watson, I shall order you out of the house.”
—The Adventure of the Dying Detective
“Your conversation is most entertaining. When you go out close the door, for there is a decided draught.”
—The Adventure of the Speckled Band
“It’s every man’s business to see justice done.”
—The Crooked Man
“My correspondence has certainly the charm of variety, and the humbler are usually the more interesting. This looks like one of those unwelcome social summonses which call upon a man either to be bored or to lie.”
—The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
“I do not encourage visitors.”
—The Five Orange Pips
“The question now is, what shall we do with this poor wretch’s body? We cannot leave it here to the foxes and the ravens.”
—The Hound of the Baskervilles
“Very likely not. There are many men in London, you know, who, some from shyness, some from misanthropy, have no wish for the company of their fellows. Yet they are not averse to comfortable chairs and the latest periodicals. It is for the convenience of these that the Diogenes Club was started, and it now contains the most unsociable and unclubbable men in town. No member is permitted to take the least notice of any other one. Save in the Stranger’s Room, no talking is, under any circumstances, allowed, and three offenses, if brought to the notice of the committee, render the talker liable to expulsion. My brother was one of the founders, and I have myself found it a very soothing atmosphere.”
—The Greek Interpreter
