Part 3: A Bible Numbers Numerics Gematria Experiment
How do we know everything isn't just one big coincidence? Is there a way to test the Bible? The following numeric experiment may not definitively answer these questions, but I think it shows there is something special about the Bible, especially verses about God.
Experiment Setup:
In this experiment, we will artificially attempt to manufacture segments of text with number Numerics Gematria features. A secular novel will be used as a control and compared with random verses from the Bible, alongside verses specific to God.
Hypothesis: If God does not exist, and there is no significance to the Bible then everything is random. There should be little difference between the results.
- Gather 25 sentences at random from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study In Scarlet1, 25 verses at random from the Bible that are not about God2, and 25 verses from the Bible that are about God.3
- Convert each sentence or verse into numeric data. (See Alphanumeric Substitutions for how this is done.)
- Have a computer select 7 sentences or verses out of each group of 25 and join them together.
- Check the result for the following features. All of them must be divisible by 7.
- Numeric total.
- The number of words.
- The number of letters.
- The total of the first letter of each word.
- The total of the last letter of each word.
- The total of all odd positioned words.
- The total of all even positioned words.
- The total of all odd positioned letters.
- The total of all even positioned letters.
There are 2,422,728,000 possible permutations for each group. With this many possibilities, everything should average out in line with the odds. Seven features of seven is a 1 in 823543 chance (77). Since there are 2.4 billion permutations, we could expect to find approximately 2942. And we would expect to find about 60 having nine features of seven. (2,422,728,000 ÷ 40,353,607 is approximately 60.) The table below gives the number of permutations for each group that had features divisible by seven.
| A Study In Scarlet | Random Bible Verses | Bible Verses About God | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permutations with 7 features | 2021 | 1954 | 2254 |
| Permutations with 9 features | 54 | 62 | 76 |
Result
The novel A Study In Scarlet produced more permutations with just 7 features than random Bible verses, but once a more stringent requirement of 9 features is applied, random Bible verses produce more from less. However, Bible verses about God produced more than both: 11.5% more permutations with 7 features than A Study In Scarlet, and in comparison with random Bible verses 15.4% more.
Skeptics would point out that in the scheme of things with 2 billion permutations, the differences between 2021, 1954 and 2254 or 54, 62 and 76 are insignificant. They would also point out that the reduction of permutations from 7 features to the more stringent 9 features in each group is a perfect example of the odds themselves.
Examining only the number of features misses the quality of those features. The table below fills in what is missing.
| Features with | A Study In Scarlet | Random Bible Verses | Verses About God |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 | 0 | 48 | 223 |
| 7 x 7 x 7 | 129 | 433 | 788 |
| 7 x 7 | 3119 | 2185 | 3654 |
| 7 & 13 | 1390 | 1568 | 2038 |
| 13 x 13 x 13 x 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 x 13 x 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 13 x 13 | 61 | 243 | 4 |
No group produced a feature with a total having five factors of seven. In the next category with features bearing four factors of seven, random Bible verses, and verses about God blew away A Study In Scarlet. And verses about God greatly exceeded the random Bible verses.
Only in the third category of features with three factors of seven does A Study In Scarlet begin to appear. Random Bible verses still produces three times as many as the novel, and verses about God produces twice as many as random Bible verses, and six times as many as the novel.
In the fourth category, A Study In Scarlet has more results than random Bible verses, but still less than verses about God. This is as good as it gets for the novel. The results in the rest of the table demonstrate that for the novel everything is purely random.
Each category in the random Bible verses is roughly one seventh the one below it. This is a perfect illustration of the mathematical odds.
Only the verses about God show something different. For 3654 features with two factors of seven, there should have been 522 with three factors of seven (i.e. one seventh of 3754), but there were 788. And for 788 features with three factors of seven, there should have been 112 with four factors of seven. There were 223. The verses about God beat the odds. The more stringent the requirement, the more the verses about God surpass the odds.
As mentioned earlier, the number thirteen is associated with God’s name. It appears many times in the random Bible verses, but hardly at all in the verses about God. Does this mean this result is random? Not if you accept the following explanation. The random Bible verses were selected because they weren't about God. But they did come from the Bible which contains the original message from God. That is why they are marked with the number thirteen, to ensure the identity of the source. Verses about God don't really need to be marked with this number because they are about God.
Running The Experiment Again
The Hebrew and Greek languages of the Bible appear to favour words with more letters towards the end of their alphabets, whereas the English language slants towards using letters nearer the front of the alphabet. For the same number of words/letters, the Hebrew and Greek produce higher totals. This might make it easier for the Bible to produce more features with four factors of 7. Lower totals would have more difficulty.
To ensure this is not the case, the experiment is run again. This time longer passages are selected from A Study In Scarlet4, and a nonfiction book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser to artificially increase the totals until they are higher than the two cases for the Bible.
| A Study In Scarlet | Fast Food Nation | Random Bible Verses | Verses About God | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permutations with 7 features | 3189 | 2931 | 1954 | 2254 |
| Permutations with 9 features | 111 | 83 | 62 | 76 |
By artificially jacking up the totals of the non-Bible books, it becomes easier to find features divisible by seven. Once again, the number of permutations that succeeded in all five cases are roughly in line with the odds. The lower numbers for the Bible could just be natural variation within the odds. (Note: All five cases produce more permutations having 9 features of seven in relation to the number of permutations having 7 features.)
Now we look at the quality of those features.
| A Study In Scarlet | Fast Food Nation | Random Bible Verses | Verses About God | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features with | A Study In Scarlet | Fast Food Nation | Random Bible Verses | Verses About God |
| 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7: | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 x 7 x 7 x 7: | 0 | 38 | 48 | 223 |
| 7 x 7 x 7: | 570 | 1019 | 433 | 788 |
| 7 x 7: | 3960 | 4426 | 2185 | 3654 |
| 7 x 13: | 2571 | 1855 | 1568 | 2038 |
| 13 x 13 x 13 x 13: | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 x 13 x 13: | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 13 x 13: | 132 | 485 | 243 | 4 |
| (No change for data from the Bible.) | ||||
The features with 3 factors of seven in A Study In Scarlet have increased four times to 570, but there is still not one feature with 4 factors of seven.
Since there were 570 features with 3 factors of seven, there should have been one seventh this number with 4 factors of seven. But there were none. The odds would also predict seven times 570 for features with 2 factors of seven, or 570 x 7 = 3990. There were 3960. This is practically dead on with the expected odds.
Fast Food Nation has 38 features with 4 factors of seven, beating the fiction book's zero. But with 1019 features found with 3 factors of seven, the 38 should have been 146 (1019 ÷ 7 = 145.57). This is much less than what the odds would predict.
The Bible data has not changed, so the previous experiment's results remain. Random Bible verses produce random results in line with the odds just like the fiction book, but verses about God continue to stand out against the odds.
Conclusion
There is a marked difference between the novel, the nonfiction book, random Bible verses, and verses about God. The Hebrew language is unique, and God is more unique than the Hebrew language. Everything should have averaged out over 2.4 billion permutations. This is not random.
As seen here and elsewhere, verses about God seem to be slanted slightly for producing more features. It's just barely better than the odds. However, when the quality of the features are considered, the Bible is way ahead of a secular novel, and verses about God are way ahead of random Bible verses.
Since the sentences from A Study In Scarlet, and the verses chosen from the Bible were chosen at random, joining them together in various permutations would actually produce a nonsensical paragraph. Even if there were a multitude of numeric features, it would mean nothing. The same cannot be said about the verses chosen about God. When joined together in various ways, it might be a little lumpy, but they still make sense. This is why meaning is all important. See below for one selection and arrangement of the verses about God. (Hover mouse over sentence for reference.)
I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to graven images.And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to sing,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Hearken to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am He, I am the first, and I am the last. My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together.Therefore thou art great, O LORD God; for there is none like thee, and there is no God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.
Meaning is what sets these verses apart. Like the paint, canvas and style imbedded in every Van Gogh painting that distinguishes it from all other pictures and paintings, meaning and context is what is important in dealing with text. One cannot ignore the bullet that killed JFK just because bullets can be found all over the place. Meaning and context filters out the random noise.
The computer can find God’s signature throughout the Bible. The number of appearances is in line with the odds. But when they are examined, most of them make no sense since they are incomplete thoughts. The ones that stand out are complete in meaning. These are the ones that are not random.
Is there really something in the Bible? Or is the skeptic correct? Must God use a sledgehammer to get our attention, or shall we heed the still small voice? (1 Kings 19:12-13) Here is the call for faith.
The still small voice is not in the numbers, and to concentrate only on the numbers would be a mistake. To hear God’s voice, one must read the Bible.
Notes
125 randomly chosen sentences from A Study In Scarlet.
For the conversion of English into numbers, see Alphanumeric Substitutions.
First number is the chapter number. Second number is an arbitrary sentence number. 1_1 The campaign brought honours and promotion to many, but for me it had nothing but misfortune and disaster. 1_2 Broad, low tables were scattered about, which bristled with retorts, test-tubes, and little Bunsen lamps, with their blue flicker- ing flames. 1_3 Sherlock Holmes seemed delighted at the idea of sharing his rooms with me. 2_1 His very person and appearance were such as to strike the atten- tion of the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. 2_2 Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. 2_3 He said that he would acquire no knowledge which did not bear upon his object. 2_4 Its somewhat ambitious title was "The Book of Life," and it attemp- ted to show how much an observant man might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of all that came in his way. 3_1 My respect for his powers of analysis increased wondrously. 3_2 It was a foggy, cloudy morning, and a dun coloured veil hung over the house-tops, looking like the reflection of the mud coloured streets beneath. 3_3 In one place he gathered up very carefully a little pile of grey dust from the floor, and packed it away in an envelope. 4_1 Now, up to last night, we have had no rain for a week, so that those wheels which left such a deep impression must have been there during the night. 4_2 It was simply a ruse to divert inquiry into a wrong channel. 4_3 John Rance sprang to his feet with a frightened face and suspicion in his eyes. 4_4 There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colour- less skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it. 5_1 There were no signs of a struggle, nor had the victim any weapon with which he might have wounded an antagonist. 5_2 On thinking the matter over, it must have occurred to him that it was possible that he had lost the ring in the road after leaving the house. 5_3 The old crone drew out an evening paper, and pointed at our adver- tisement. 5_4 It must have been a young man, and an active one, too, besides being an incomparable actor. 6_1 The Standard commented upon the fact that lawless outrages of the sort usually occurred under a Liberal Administration. 6_2 He waved his hand, and they scampered away downstairs like so many rats, and we heard their shrill voices next moment in the street. 6_3 My dread is, however, that in your eyes and in the eyes of others he may appear to be compromised. 7_1 At two in the morning Drebber had been found in the Brixton Road. 7_2 He has an impression that the man was tall, had a reddish face, and was dressed in a long, brownish coat. 7_3 And yet this wretched dog is none the worse. 7_4 Gregson and Lestrade seemed to be far from satisfied by this assurance, or by the depreciating allusion to the detective police.
225 randomly chosen Bible verses. (For Greek conversion to numbers, see Alphanumeric Substitutions.)
Exodus 28:21 Amos 8:4 2 Timothy 2:8 Deuteronomy 5:14 Obadiah 1:5 Philemon 1:15 Judges 15:13 Micah 3:4 Hebrews 10:5 1 Kings 7:14 Zephaniah 3:7 3 John 1:7 2 Chronicles 14:7 Haggai 2:5 Jude 1:8 Psalm 34:6* Malachi 2:15 Isaiah 30:23 Mark 5:6** Jeremiah 26:7 John 12:21 Lamentations 2:4 2 Corinthians 4:6 Hosea 11:2 Galatians 3:17 * Psalm 34:6 is actually 34:7 in Jewish Bibles. ** New Testament verses are from the GNT. Exodus 28:21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel; they shall be like signets, each en- graved with its name, for the twelve tribes. Deuteronomy 5:14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your manservant, or your maidservant, or your ox, or your ass, or any of your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. Judges 15:13 They said to him, "No; we will only bind you and give you into their hands; we will not kill you." So they bound him with two new ropes, and brought him up from the rock. 1 Kings 7:14 He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill, for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon, and did all his work. 2Ch 14:7 And he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars; the land is still ours, be- cause we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side." So they built and prospered. Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Isaiah 30:23 And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your cattle will graze in large pastures; Jeremiah 26:7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD. Lamentations 2:4 He has bent his bow like an enemy, with his right hand set like a foe; and he has slain all the pride of our eyes in the tent of the daughter of Zion; he has poured out his fury like fire. Hosea 11:2 The more I called them, the more they went from me; they kept sacrificing to the Baals, and burning incense to idols. Amos 8:4 Hear this, you who trample upon the needy, and bring the poor of the land to an end, Obadiah 1:5 If thieves came to you, if plunderers by night - how you have been destroyed! - would they not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? Micah 3:4 Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil. Zephaniah 3:7 I said, "Surely she will fear me, she will accept cor- rection; she will not lose sight of all that I have enjoined upon her." But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt. Haggai 2:5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit abides among you; fear not. Malachi 2:15 Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does he desire? Godly offspring. So take heed to yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth. Mark 5:6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him; John 12:21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the know- ledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Galatians 3:17 This is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, as preached in my gospel, Philemon 1:15 Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back for ever, Hebrews 10:5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me; 3 John 1:7 For they have set out for his sake and have accepted nothing from the heathen. Jude 1:8 Yet in like manner these men in their dreamings defile the flesh, reject authority, and revile the glorious ones.
1 Kings 8:60 Exodus 20:7 Isaiah 45:5-6 2 Samuel 7:22 Exodus 34:14 Isaiah 46:9-10 Deuteronomy 32:39 Exodus 34:6-7 Isaiah 48:12-13 Deuteronomy 4:35 Hosea 13:4 Leviticus 19:18 Deuteronomy 4:39 Isaiah 41:4 Revelation 1:8gnt Deuteronomy 5:7 Isaiah 42:8 Revelation 22:13gnt Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Isaiah 43:10-11 Revelation 4:8gnt Exodus 20:2-3 Isaiah 44:6 Exodus 20:4-6 Isaiah 45:18-24 1 Kings 8:60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. 2 Samuel 7:22 Therefore thou art great, O LORD God; for there is none like thee, and there is no God besides thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand Deuteronomy 4:35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. Deuteronomy 4:39 know therefore this day, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Deuteronomy 5:7 You shall have no other gods before me. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Exodus 20:2-3 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:4-6 You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. Exodus 34:14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), Exodus 34:6-7 The LORD passed before him, and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." Hosea 13:4 I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior. Isaiah 41:4 Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He. Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to graven images. Isaiah 43:10-11 "You are my witnesses," says the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Isaiah 45:18-24 For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the LORD, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, `Seek me in chaos.' I the LORD speak the truth, I declare what is right. "Assemble yourselves and come, draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: `To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.' "Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed, all who were incensed against him. Isaiah 45:5-6 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I gird you, though you do not know me, that men may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. Isaiah 46:9-10 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, `My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' Isaiah 48:12-13 "Hearken to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am He, I am the first, and I am the last. My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together. Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within, and day and night they never cease to sing, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"
Individually these verses are all different. Some have numeric totals divisible by 7, but others do not. The number of words/letters in some of these verses may or may not be divisible by 7.
425 Extended passages from A Study In Scarlet.
1_1 The campaign brought honours and promotion to many, but for me it had nothing but misfortune and disaster. 1_2 This was a lofty chamber, lined and littered with countless bottles. Broad, low tables were scattered about, which bristled with retorts, test-tubes, and little Bunsen lamps, with their blue flickering flames. There was only one student in the room, who was bending over a distant table absorbed in his work. At the sound of our steps he glanced round and sprang to his feet with a cry of pleasure. 1_3 Sherlock Holmes seemed delighted at the idea of sharing his rooms with me. *2_1 As the weeks went by, my interest in him and my curiosity as to his aims in life, gradually deepened and increased. His very person and appearance were such as to strike the attention of the most casual observer. In height he was rather over six feet, and so excessively lean that he seemed to be considerably taller. *2_2 His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge. Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared to know next to nothing. Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in the naivest way who he might be and what he had done. 2_3 He said that he would acquire no knowledge which did not bear upon his object. 2_4 Its somewhat ambitious title was "The Book of Life," and it attempted to show how much an observant man might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of all that came in his way. 3_1 My respect for his powers of analysis increased wondrously. *3_2 It was a foggy, cloudy morning, and a dun coloured veil hung over the house-tops, looking like the reflection of the mud coloured streets beneath. My companion was in the best of spirits, and prattled away about Cremona fiddles, and the difference between a Stradivarius and an Amati. 3_3 For twenty minutes or more he continued his researches, measuring with the most exact care the distance between marks which were entirely invisible to me, and occasionally applying his tape to the walls in an equally incomprehensible manner. In one place he gathered up very carefully a little pile of grey dust from the floor, and packed it away in an envelope. Finally, he examined with his glass the word upon the wall, going over every letter of it with the most minute exactness. This done, he appeared to be satisfied, for he replaced his tape and his glass in his pocket. 4_1 Now, up to last night, we have had no rain for a week, so that those wheels which left such a deep impression must have been there during the night. *4_2 As to poor Lestrade's discovery it was simply a blind intended to put the police upon a wrong track, by suggesting Socialism and secret societies. It was not done by a German. The A, if you noticed, was printed somewhat after the German fashion. Now, a real German invariably prints in the Latin character, so that we may safely say that this was not written by one, but by a clumsy imitator who overdid his part. It was simply a ruse to divert inquiry into a wrong channel. *4_3 John Rance sprang to his feet with a frightened face and suspicion in his eyes. "Where was you hid to see all that?" he cried. "It seems to me that you knows a deal more than you should." *4_4 Why shouldn't we use a little art jargon. There's the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it. *5_1 Then, again, if not poison, what had caused the man's death, since there was neither wound nor marks of strangulation? But, on the other hand, whose blood was that which lay so thickly upon the floor? There were no signs of a struggle, nor had the victim any weapon with which he might have wounded an antagonist. *5_2 According to my notion he dropped it while stooping over Drebber's body, and did not miss it at the time. After leaving the house he discovered his loss and hurried back, but found the police already in possession, owing to his own folly in leaving the candle burning. He had to pretend to be drunk in order to allay the suspicions which might have been aroused by his appearance at the gate. Now put yourself in that man's place. On thinking the matter over, it must have occurred to him that it was possible that he had lost the ring in the road after leaving the house. What would he do, then? He would eagerly look out for the evening papers in the hope of seeing it among the articles found. His eye, of course, would light upon this. He would be overjoyed. Why should he fear a trap? There would be no reason in his eyes why the finding of the ring should be connected with the murder. He would come. He will come. You shall see him within an hour?" 5_3 The old crone drew out an evening paper, and pointed at our advertisement. *5_4 "Old woman be damned!" said Sherlock Holmes, sharply. "We were the old women to be so taken in. It must have been a young man, and an active one, too, besides being an incomparable actor. The get up was inimitable. He saw that he was followed, no doubt, and used this means of giving me the slip. *6_1 The Standard commented upon the fact that lawless outrages of the sort usually occurred under a Liberal Administration. They arose from the unsettling of the minds of the masses, and the consequent weakening of all authority. The deceased was an American gentleman who had been residing for some weeks in the Metropolis. He had stayed at the boarding-house of Madame Charpentier, in Torquay Terrace, Camberwell. He was accompanied in his travels by his private secretary, Mr. Joseph Stangerson. The two bade adieu to their landlady upon Tuesday, the 4th inst., and departed to Euston Station with the avowed intention of catching the Liverpool express. They were afterwards seen together upon the platform. Nothing more is known of them until Mr. Drebber's body was, as recorded, discovered in an empty house in the Brixton Road, many miles from Euston. How he came there, or how he met his fate, are questions which are still involved in mystery. Nothing is known of the whereabouts of Stangerson. We are glad to learn that Mr. Lestrade and Mr. Gregson, of Scotland Yard, are both engaged upon the case, and it is confidently anticipated that these well-known officers will speedily throw light upon the matter. *6_2 "Now, off you go, and come back with a better report next time." He waved his hand, and they scampered away downstairs like so many rats, and we heard their shrill voices next moment in the street. "There's more work to be got out of one of those little beggars than out of a dozen of the force," Holmes remarked. "The mere sight of an official-looking person seals men's lips. These youngsters, however, go everywhere and hear everything. They are as sharp as needles, too; all they want is organisation." *6_3 Do not imagine that my agitation on behalf of my son arises from any fear lest he should have had a hand in this terrible affair. He is utterly innocent of it. My dread is, however, that in your eyes and in the eyes of others he may appear to be compromised. That however is surely impossible. His high character, his profession, his antecedents would all forbid it.' 7_1 At two in the morning Drebber had been found in the Brixton Road. *7_2 The man was seen," continued Lestrade. "A milk boy, passing on his way to the dairy, happened to walk down the lane which leads from the mews at the back of the hotel. He noticed that a ladder, which usually lay there, was raised against one of the windows of the second floor, which was wide open. After passing, he looked back and saw a man descend the ladder. He came down so quietly and openly that the boy imagined him to be some carpenter or joiner at work in the hotel. He took no particular notice of him, beyond thinking in his own mind that it was early for him to be at work. He has an impression that the man was tall, had a reddish face, and was dressed in a long, brownish coat. He must have stayed in the room some little time after the murder, for we found blood-stained water in the basin, where he had washed his hands, and marks on the sheets where he had deliberately wiped his knife." 7_3 And yet this wretched dog is none the worse. *7_4 Gregson and Lestrade seemed to be far from satisfied by this assurance, or by the depreciating allusion to the detective police. The former had flushed up to the roots of his flaxen hair, while the other's beady eyes glistened with curiosity and resentment. Neither of them had time to speak, however, before there was a tap at the door, and the spokesman of the street Arabs, young Wiggins, introduced his insignificant and unsavoury person.