Analysis Process

THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE

CHAPTER ONE

At the beginning, the narrator gives us details of the murder of Ronald Adair, what happened in London at the spring of the year 1894. Ten years later the character who is narrating the tale is interested in the crime, and, after Sherlock Holmes´ disappearance he is more interested in these topics, he had a close intimacy with him. Also he tells us in this chapter that he realized more clearly the loss which the community had sustained by the death of Sherlock Holmes. But in this case, as Holmes dead, he will recapitulate the facts as they were known to the public at the conclusion of the inquest of the murder. 

CHAPTER TWO

In this chapter we can know some Adair´s life details and what he used to do in his days. He was the second son of the Earl of the governor of one of the Australian colonies, he lived with her mother and her sister in Park Lane, he had no enemies and no particular vices and his life moved in a narrow and conventional circle. Some months before of his murder he was engagement but the relationship had finished. Also we can know that Adair was continually playing cards and was member of some clubs. On the evening of the crime, he returned from the club exactly at ten, his mother wanted to say good night but the door was locked, then, the door was forced and he was found lying near the table, there were on the table two banknotes for ten pounds each and seventeen pounds ten in silver and gold and also some figures upon a sheet of paper with the names of some club friends opposite to them. 

CHAPTER THREE

The narrator says he was all day thinking in some signs that may help to explain how the murder happened. No reason could be given why the young man should have fastened the door upon the inside; maybe the murderer did this and then escaped by the window. Another possibility was that the murder had shot through the window, but no one had heard and Park Line was a frequented street. When he went to the house he struck against an elderly, deformed man, he knocked down several books which he was carrying. He was like a bibliophile.

CHAPTER FOUR

The observation in the Adairs´ house was not very successful, the character noticed that the window was was entirely inaccessible. Then, when he was in his study, a person asked for him, he was the strange old book collector, who was the owner of the little bookshop at the corner of Church Street. When the man was offering him some books, he moved his head and Sherlock Holmes was standing smiling at him across his study table.

CHAPTER FIVE

In this part of the text we can know the narrator´s name at the moment Holmes speaks he says "My dear Watson” and he spoke to him very surprised and said “Is it possible that you succeeded in climbing out of that awful abyss?" but before Holmes answer, ask to Watson if he was ready to talk with him. At that moment they started to speak about the murder Watson was investigating. 

CHAPTER SIX

In This part of the story, Sherlock Holmes tells to Watson the story when he fight with the professor Moriarty, when they tottered together upon the brink of the fall, but thanks to Baritsu (the Japanese system of wrestling) Sherlock Holmes could defend. The professor tried to do the same but he could not get his balance and over he went.

With this experience, Holmes realized the professor was not the only person want, to see him dead, maybe three other desire it. For that reason he decided to leave, if all the world was convinced that he was dead they would take liberties, these men, they would soon lay themselves open, and sooner or later he could destroy them.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sherlock Holmes continues telling to Watson some of his adventures while he was absent. In this case he was in a rocky wall he needed to climb. Holmes thought about the best way to do it without leaving some tracks but it was impossible, as was to climb the high cliff. One option was reversed his boots but the sight of three sets of tracks in one direction would certainly have suggested a deception. And when he was in the abyss, he seemed to hear Moriarty´s voice screaming. He said to Watson while he was his following were investigating in the most sympathetic and inefficient manner the circumstances of his death. S. Holmes had imagined that his adventures were finished but something unexpected happened, a huge rock, falling from above, boomed past him, struck the path, and bounded over into the chasm. He thought it was an accident, but then, he saw a man's head against the darkening sky, of course, Moriarty was not alone, that man was his confederate. 

CHAPTER EIGHT

Moriarty´s confederate was trying to kill him, in another words, was trying to do what his comrade had failed. He escaped over the mountains in the darkness and a week later he was in Florence, being secure nobody knows where he was and what had happened with him. He apologized to Watson because did tell him he was alive, but it was necessary because in another case he had not written so convincing an account of his unhappy end. Many times Sherlock Holmes had taken up the pen to write to Watson, but he did not do it because maybe his affectionate regard for him should tempt him to some indiscretion which would betray Holmes´ secret. Watson knew that Holmes had a confidant, his friend Mycroft, but also explained him it was necessary because he needed his help with money.

As things were not so good in London, Holmes traveled around the world, before some years he was about to return to London but and heard news about Park Lane Mystery, for that reason he decided to appear and to go to Watson´s home. 

CHAPTER NINE

Watson was very stunned with the stories he heard that April evening "Work is the best antidote to sorrow, my dear Watson," said Holmes, that night they started the adventure of the empty house." Like in the old times, Watson was seated beside Holmes in a Hansom, the revolver in his pocket, and the thrill of adventure in his heart. Holmes's knowledge of the byways of London was extraordinary; they stopped at the corner of Cavendish Square, walked through some narrow passages and then opened a house with a key. 

CHAPTER TEN

The house they were was a little dark and was evident it was empty, there were no lamps and they could only just discern each other's figures within. They were in Camden House, which stands opposite to their old quarters. Watson looked across the window and saw the shadow of a man who was seated in a chair within was thrown in hard, black outline upon the luminous screen of the window. It was a perfect reproduction of Holmes!

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Holmes and Watson were still at the empty house, Watson was really surprised with the figure that was in his office, which was rather like Holmes. "The credit of the execution is due to Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble, who spent some days in doing the moulding. It is a bust in wax.

Watson had not clear what was the aim of this and Holmes gave him a concrete answer: "Because, my dear Watson, I had the strongest possible reason for wishing certain people to think that I was there when I was really elsewhere." Of course he was the Moriarty´s friend, the same who dropped the rocks over the cliff.

CHAPTER TWELVE

"The shadow has moved!"  Watson cried. At that moment Holmes explained him  that it was Mrs Hudson, she made changes in the figure every quarter of hour. Then, when they were speaking a door was opened, an instant later steps crept inside the house. Watson and Holmes were quite for a moment with the guns in their hands. The man was within three yards of them, then, he passed close beside them, stole over to the window, and very softly and noiselessly raised it for half a foot. At that moment, there was a sound of a broken glass, at that instant Holmes sprang like a tiger on to the marksman's back and be there for a while, and then, with convulsive strength he seized Holmes by the throat, but Watson struck him on the head with the butt of the revolver, and he dropped again upon the floor. When they were above of the criminal, Holmes whistled and immediately appeared two policemen in uniform, with one plain-clothes detective

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"That you, Lestrade?" said Holmes. Lestrade answered to him saying “It's good to see you back in London, sir."  After speaking a little about the murders had happened, Holmes stepped up to the window, closed it, and dropped the blinds. The Colonel and the two policemen produced lights to see who the criminal was. It was a tremendously virile and yet sinister face which was turned towards us, he had cruel blue eyes, cynical lids, aggressive nose, he was looking at Holmes with with hatred and admiration at the same time.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The fury upon Colonel Moran face´s was terrible. Holmes confessed him it was a small surprise for him, and for a while was telling him thing about the way he tried to kill him. Colonel Moran turned to the official detective and told him he preferred do things in a legal way and not with the gibes of Holmes.

Before Holmes went to that place, picked up the powerful air-gun from the floor, and was examining its mechanism and said he knew the person who constructed it to the order of the late Professor Moriarty. A moment later, Holmes invited Watson to his study

CHAPTER FIVETEEN

At Homes´ study everything was at the place they were when he traveled, in happened thanks to the supervision of Mycroft Holmes and the immediate care of Mrs. Hudson. The chemical corner, the books, the diagrams, the violin-case, and the pipe-rack were equal. Mrs. Hudson and the strange dummy were the two occupants of the room, Holmes was much obliged for Mrs. Hudson assistance, she helped him with the dummy and did it very well. Holmes asked her,” Did you observe where the bullet went?" Immediately she showed where and said the bullet spoilt the bust. Watson heard carefully Holmes while he said it had plumb in the middle of the back of the head and smack through the brain, the person who had did it was the best shot in India