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"That's the best I can do for you," said he. "It may prove to be of some use."

The astonished detective read the note aloud. It ran as follows:-

"Wanted, a woman of good address, attired like a lady.

She has a remarkably thick nose, with eyes which are set close upon either side of it.

She has a puckered forehead, a peering expression, and probably rounded shoulders.

There are indications that she has had recourse to an optician at least twice during the last few months.

As her glasses are of remarkable strength and as opticians are not very numerous, there should be no difficulty in tracing her."

Holmes smiled at the astonishment of Hopkins, which must have been reflected upon my features.

"Surely my deductions are simplicity itself," said he.

"It would be difficult to name any articles which afford a finer field for inference than a pair of glasses, especially so remarkable a pair as these.

That they belong to a woman I infer from their delicacy, and also, of course, from the last words of the dying man.

As to her being a person of refinement and well dressed, they are, as you perceive, handsomely mounted in solid gold, and it is inconceivable that anyone who wore such glasses could be slatternly in other respects.

You will find that the clips are too wide for your nose, showing that the lady's nose was very broad at the base.

This sort of nose is usually a short and coarse one, but there are a sufficient number of exceptions to prevent me from being dogmatic or from insisting upon this point in my description.

My own face is a narrow one, and yet I find that I cannot get my eyes into the centre, or near the centre, of these glasses.

Therefore the lady's eyes are set very near to the sides of the nose.

You will perceive, Watson, that the glasses are concave and of unusual strength.

A lady whose vision has been so extremely contracted all her life is sure to have the physical characteristics of such vision, which are seen in the forehead, the eyelids, and the shoulders."

"Yes," I said, "I can follow each of your arguments. I confess, however, that I am unable to understand how you arrive at the double visit to the optician."

Holmes took the glasses in his hand.

"You will perceive," he said, "that the clips are lined with tiny bands of cork to soften the pressure upon the nose.

One of these is discoloured and worn to some slight extent, but the other is new.

Evidently one has fallen off and been replaced.

I should judge that the older of them has not been there more than a few months.

They exactly correspond, so I gather that the lady went back to the same establishment for the second."

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