The Classic Mystery Collection - Arthur Conan Doyle [5800]
"I will read you a list of the books taken by Weltz and Rizzi, just to see what you will make out of it:
WELTZ RIZZI
I."Lecons de Toxicologic," 1."Traite de Toxicologic," par M. Orifia. par C. P. Galtier.
2."The Poisons of Asps and 2."The Poisons of Asps and Other Stories," by Florence Other Stories," by Florence Marryat. Marryat.
3."A Practical Essay on 3."A Practical Essay on Cancer," by C. T. Johnson. Cancer," by C. T. Johnson.
4."The Sharper Detected 4."The Sharper Detected and Exposed," by R. Houdin. and Exposed," by R. Houdin.
5."The Sign of the Four," 5."The Sign of the Four," by A. Conan Doyle. by A. Conan Doyle.
6."Cancer, a New Method of 6."Legal Chemistry: A Treatment," by W. H. Guide to the Detection of Broadbent. Poisons, Examinations of Stains, etc., as Applied to Chemical Jurisprudence." From the French of A. Naquet by J. P. Battershall, Nat.Sc.D.
7."Reports of Trials for 7."Traite Pratique des Murder by Poisoning," Maladies Cancerences," by G. L. Browne and C. par H. Lebert. G. Stewart.
8."A Practical Treatise on 8."A Practical Treatise on Poisons," by O. H. Costill. Poisons," by O. H. Costill.
9."Poisons, Their Effects 9."A Treatise on Poisons in and Detection," by Alexander Relation to Medical Wynter Blyth. Jurisprudence, Physiology, and the Practice of Physic," by R. Christison,M.D., F.R.S.E.
10."Poisons, Their Effects 10."Poisons, Their Effects and Detection," by Alexander and Detection," by Alexander Wynter Blyth. Wynter Blyth.
"There, do you wonder that the perusal of that list excited me? Come, now, before I go any further, tell me what you make of it, Doc," and he passed it to me.
"There seems to me to be a singular unanimity of purpose existing between these two men," I said; "not only as regards the subject-matter of their reading, but in no less than six cases they have both perused the same volume. This never happened by chance. Clearly, they are acquaintances, and are working together toward some common end. I should think it very likely, judging from their interest in cancers and toxicology, that they were medical students. Numbers four and five don't exactly seem to strengthen my medical hypothesis, but they are only two out of the ten. That's about all I can make out of it;" and I returned the list to him.
"Your views in the matter," replied Maitland, "are precisely those which first occurred to me, and I am not sure but I should still hold them, had I been obliged to decide solely from the evidence I have submitted to you. It was clear to my mind from the first that some common purpose actuated both Weltz and Rizzi. With a view to ascertaining where they lived as a preparatory step toward learning more of them, I consulted a Boston directory, only to learn that it contained no such names. I was about to examine some of the directories of neighbouring towns when it occurred to me that the easiest way to find their places of residence would be to consult the green slips upon which they had procured their books, and I accordingly asked the attendant to kindly let me look at them. While she was collecting the slips I re-examined the list of books taken by Weltz and Rizzi, especially those which had been taken by both men. One thing at once struck my attention, and that was that most of these latter were large books which would take a long time to peruse and would require to be borrowed several times for hall use, were they to be examined with any care. I put this fact down for future reference and gave my attention to the green slips, the whole twenty of which the attendant now placed before me. The residence of Weltz was given as No. 15 Staniford Place, Boston, while that of Rizzi was No. 5 Oak Street, Boston. I was about to walk over to Oak Street to see if Rizzi were still there when, in returning the slips to the attendant, I noticed a peculiarity in Weltz's 'z' which I had thought