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sherlock60This week we’re looking at The Stock-broker’s Clerk. I have typed up a few thoughts to get the discussion going.
"I do my neighbour's when he goes. He is always ready to work off the debt." "Your neighbour is a doctor," said he, nodding at the brass plate.
Holmes doesn’t notice the neighbour’s brass plate going into Watson’s property, and then two minutes after Watson has said his neighbour will mind his practice, Holmes has apparently forgotten the neighbour is a doctor. All this is perhaps evidence that Holmes doesn’t observe everything automatically and involuntarily – he chooses what to pay attention to. If something is classed as unimportant, he just doesn’t bother taking it in. He knows that Watson has to have some way of escaping his practice for the day, but the specifics don’t matter. So Holmes simply stops listening. However, Watson’s health is important to Holmes – hence the deduction involving the slippers. (Or perhaps it’s just showing off to Watson that’s important…)
The New Annotated points out that it seems strange that Watson already has a routine set up with his neighbour for standing in for each other. “He is always ready…” It’s unlikely Watson has taken many days off in just three months. Is he perhaps exaggerating the situation? Keen to have an adventure and worried that Holmes won’t let him come, if the detective suspects he’s putting Watson’s livelihood at risk.
"Ah! Then you got hold of the best of the two." It’s always puzzled me a little, this bit. Surely with two practices side-by-side the only difference can be the doctors running them. And we know that Mr Farquhar had been losing patients. It may have been the better practice in the past – hence the worn down steps – but can there be anything innate in the practice that gives it an advantage, despite the doctor?
I’ve been having a look at the previous 60s for STOC. This story makes the excellent point that there must have been a third person involved (an inside man at Mawson’s), or how else could “Pinner” have found out about Pycroft and his new position at Mawson & Williams's? And this story makes the rather sweet suggestion that Pycroft’s moustache may have prompted Holmes to think of Watson and decide to fetch him on the way. After all, there doesn’t seem to be any compelling reason for Holmes to take Watson with him. Admittedly, Watson’s medical skills are eventually needed but Holmes isn’t anticipating an attempted suicide. He doesn’t anticipate it even seconds before the attempted suicide occurs.
"Well," said he, "the fact is that I have heard some really extraordinary stories about your financial ability. You remember Parker, who used to be Coxon's manager? He can never say enough about it." Is it possible that Pinner has spoken to Parker, and this is how the plot suggested itself? Mawson’s have perhaps contacted Parker to ask him about Pycroft’s character and abilities, so he knows where the young man is going to be working, and in some way he’s innocently given this information to Pinner. It is unlikely I suppose, as Pycroft is approached so soon after getting the letter confirming his appointment. Someone on the inside at Mawson’s does seem more probable.
…with a touch of the Sheeny about his nose. Not very comfortable with this particular description. Though I suppose Pycroft (and ACD) aren’t truly being anti-Semitic.
"And you can come up to-morrow evening, at seven, and let me know how you are getting on. The New Annotated makes the point that Holmes is wasting time by travelling to Birmingham immediately, first thing in the morning. He can’t do anything there until the evening – it might have been more sensible to have begun his enquiries at Mawson’s.
I wonder what becomes of poor Pycroft. I can’t see Mawson’s taking him on after all this. He has done nothing wrong of course, but he was indirectly part of the plot that led to one of their employees being murdered. If he had formally tended his resignation, or simply refused the too good to be true offer, the plot would have fallen apart.
Next Sunday, 19th Jan, we’re delving into Holmes’ past with The "Gloria Scott". Hope to see you then.
"I do my neighbour's when he goes. He is always ready to work off the debt." "Your neighbour is a doctor," said he, nodding at the brass plate.
Holmes doesn’t notice the neighbour’s brass plate going into Watson’s property, and then two minutes after Watson has said his neighbour will mind his practice, Holmes has apparently forgotten the neighbour is a doctor. All this is perhaps evidence that Holmes doesn’t observe everything automatically and involuntarily – he chooses what to pay attention to. If something is classed as unimportant, he just doesn’t bother taking it in. He knows that Watson has to have some way of escaping his practice for the day, but the specifics don’t matter. So Holmes simply stops listening. However, Watson’s health is important to Holmes – hence the deduction involving the slippers. (Or perhaps it’s just showing off to Watson that’s important…)
The New Annotated points out that it seems strange that Watson already has a routine set up with his neighbour for standing in for each other. “He is always ready…” It’s unlikely Watson has taken many days off in just three months. Is he perhaps exaggerating the situation? Keen to have an adventure and worried that Holmes won’t let him come, if the detective suspects he’s putting Watson’s livelihood at risk.
"Ah! Then you got hold of the best of the two." It’s always puzzled me a little, this bit. Surely with two practices side-by-side the only difference can be the doctors running them. And we know that Mr Farquhar had been losing patients. It may have been the better practice in the past – hence the worn down steps – but can there be anything innate in the practice that gives it an advantage, despite the doctor?
I’ve been having a look at the previous 60s for STOC. This story makes the excellent point that there must have been a third person involved (an inside man at Mawson’s), or how else could “Pinner” have found out about Pycroft and his new position at Mawson & Williams's? And this story makes the rather sweet suggestion that Pycroft’s moustache may have prompted Holmes to think of Watson and decide to fetch him on the way. After all, there doesn’t seem to be any compelling reason for Holmes to take Watson with him. Admittedly, Watson’s medical skills are eventually needed but Holmes isn’t anticipating an attempted suicide. He doesn’t anticipate it even seconds before the attempted suicide occurs.
"Well," said he, "the fact is that I have heard some really extraordinary stories about your financial ability. You remember Parker, who used to be Coxon's manager? He can never say enough about it." Is it possible that Pinner has spoken to Parker, and this is how the plot suggested itself? Mawson’s have perhaps contacted Parker to ask him about Pycroft’s character and abilities, so he knows where the young man is going to be working, and in some way he’s innocently given this information to Pinner. It is unlikely I suppose, as Pycroft is approached so soon after getting the letter confirming his appointment. Someone on the inside at Mawson’s does seem more probable.
…with a touch of the Sheeny about his nose. Not very comfortable with this particular description. Though I suppose Pycroft (and ACD) aren’t truly being anti-Semitic.
"And you can come up to-morrow evening, at seven, and let me know how you are getting on. The New Annotated makes the point that Holmes is wasting time by travelling to Birmingham immediately, first thing in the morning. He can’t do anything there until the evening – it might have been more sensible to have begun his enquiries at Mawson’s.
I wonder what becomes of poor Pycroft. I can’t see Mawson’s taking him on after all this. He has done nothing wrong of course, but he was indirectly part of the plot that led to one of their employees being murdered. If he had formally tended his resignation, or simply refused the too good to be true offer, the plot would have fallen apart.
Next Sunday, 19th Jan, we’re delving into Holmes’ past with The "Gloria Scott". Hope to see you then.
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