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"Beg pardon, sir," said our page-boy, as he opened the door. "There's been a gentleman here asking for you, sir."

Holmes glanced reproachfully at me. "So much for afternoon walks!" said he. "Has this gentleman gone, then?"

"Yes, sir."

"Didn't you ask him in?"

"Yes, sir; he came in."

"How long did he wait?"

"Half an hour, sir.

He was a very restless gentleman, sir, a-walkin' and a-stampin' all the time he was here.

I was waitin' outside the door, sir, and I could hear him.

At last he outs into the passage, and he cries, 'Is that man never goin' to come?' Those were his very words, sir.

You'll only need to wait a little longer,' says I.

Then I'll wait in the open air, for I feel half choked,' says he.

I'll be back before long.' And with that he ups and he outs, and all I could say wouldn't hold him back."

"Well, well, you did your best," said Holmes, as we walked into our room.

"It's very annoying, though, Watson.

I was badly in need of a case, and this looks, from the man's impatience, as if it were of importance.

Hullo! That's not your pipe on the table.

He must have left his behind him.

A nice old brier with a good long stem of what the tobacconists call amber.

I wonder how many real amber mouthpieces there are in London? Some people think that a fly in it is a sign.

Well, he must have been disturbed in his mind to leave a pipe behind him which he evidently values highly."

"How do you know that he values it highly?" I asked.

"Well, I should put the original cost of the pipe at seven and sixpence.

Now it has, you see, been twice mended, once in the wooden stem and once in the amber.

Each of these mends, done, as you observe, with silver bands, must have cost more than the pipe did originally.