For Anyone But Ptichka

Ms. or Mr. Knight

Madam or sir, greetings!

How you flatter me to have taken upon yourself the trouble of reading my scribblings.

For myself, I can only marvel at the encyclopedic knowledge shown by yourself and by the other enthusiastic players of these Golden Skate Games. Quadrivial indeed!

Knowing little myself of music -- still less of mathematics -- may I none the less take refuge in posing a follow-up question to that regarding the Three Orange Pips? In that tale, Mr. Holmes admits that, far from being infallible, he had in his career theretofore been bested four times -- thrice by men and once by a woman. Who was “the woman,” and in which adventure did she play a leading role?

Admiringly yours,

John Watson, MD (ret.)

Re: Ms. 4DogKnight to DrWatson et al.

DrWatson:
I thank you for your compliment and wish that I might be able to reply in the style of Doyle but alas I am only a retired technical writer and I lack the skill in writing in the style of another author. Although I thoroughly compliment and enjoy those who have that ability having recently completed "Jane and the Ghosts of Netley" being A Jane Austen Mystery by Stephanie Barron.

<em><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Knowing little myself of music -- still less of mathematics -- may I none the less take refuge in posing a follow-up question to that regarding the Three Orange Pips? In that tale, Mr. Holmes admits that, far from being infallible, he had in his career theretofore been bested four times -- thrice by men and once by a woman. Who was “the woman,” and in which adventure did she play a leading role?[/quote]</em>

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>TO SHERLOCK HOLMES she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. They were admirable things for the observer–excellent for drawing the veil from men’s motives and actions. But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results. Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory.[/quote]

The above is the opening paragraph of A Scandal in Bohemia, first published in the Strand Magazine, July 1891.

What I find most interesting is the fact that:
"To The Woman!" So she is toasted at Sherlockian gatherings everywhere, and with good cause. Irene Norton, née Adler: beautiful; talented; clever; determined; courageous, "with a figure a man might die for;" who first fooled and then foiled the great Sherlock Holmes, who even then was gaining an international reputation as the person to see about delicate interpersonal and international problems."

So DrWatson that answers both your questions; the woman and the adventure. I won't post a synopsis because the complete story is found here:
221bakerstreet.org/

4dk - who delights in the search and is most happily occupied when the 'game is afoot'.