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window and shouted through it at the top of his voice that the
vacancy was filled。 A groan of disappointment came up from below；
and the folk all trooped away in different directions until there
was not a red…head to be seen except my own and that of the
manager。
〃‘My name；' said he； ‘is Mr。 Duncan Ross； and I am myself one
of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor。 Are
you a married man； Mr。 Wilson？ Have you a family？'
〃I answered that I had not。
〃His face fell immediately。
〃‘Dear me！' he said gravely； ‘that is very serious indeed！ I
am sorry to hear you say that。 The fund was； of course； for the
propagation and spread of the red…heads as well as for their
maintenance。 It is exceedingly unfortunate that you should be a
bachelor。'
〃My face lengthened at this； Mr。 Holmes； for I thought that I
was not to have the vacancy after all； but after thinking it over
for a few minutes he said that it would be all right。
〃‘In the case of another；' said he； ‘the objection might be
fatal； but we must stretch a point in favour of a man with such a
head of hair as yours。 When shall you be able to enter upon your
new duties？'
〃‘Well； it is a little awkward； for I have a business
already；' said I。
〃‘Oh； never mind about that； Mr。 Wilson！' said Vincent
Spaulding。 ‘I should be able to look after that for you。'
〃‘What would be the hours？' I asked。
〃‘Ten to two。'
〃Now a pawnbroker's business is mostly done of an evening； Mr。
Holmes； especially Thursday and Friday evening； which is just
before pay…day； so it would suit me very well to earn a little in
the mornings。 Besides； I knew that my assistant was a good man；
and that he would see to anything that turned up。
〃‘That would suit me very well；' said I。 ‘And the pay？'
〃‘Is 4 pound a week。'
〃‘And the work？'
〃‘Is purely nominal。'
〃‘What do you call purely nominal？'
〃‘Well； you have to be in the office； or at least in the
building； the whole time。 If you leave； you forfeit your whole
position forever。 The will is very clear upon that point。 You
don't comply with the conditions if you budge from the office
during that time。'
〃‘It's only four hours a day； and I should not think of
leaving；' said I。
〃‘No excuse will avail；' said Mr。 Duncan Ross； ‘neither
sickness nor business nor anything else。 There you must stay； or
you lose your billet。'
〃‘And the work？'
〃‘Is to copy out the Encyclopedia Britannica。 There is the
first volume of it in that press。 You must find your own ink；
pens； and blotting…paper； but we provide this table and chair。
Will you be ready to…morrow？'
〃‘Certainly；' I answered。
〃‘Then； good…bye； Mr。 Jabez Wilson； and let me congratulate
you once more on the important position which you have been
fortunate enough to gain。' He bowed me out of the room； and I
went home with my assistant； hardly knowing what to say or do； I
was so pleased at my own good fortune。
〃Well； I thought over the matter all day； and by evening I was
in low spirits again； for I had quite persuaded myself that the
whole affair must be some great hoax or fraud； though what its
object might be I could not imagine。 It seemed altogether past
belief that anyone could make such a will； or that they would pay
such a sum for doing anything so simple as copying out the
Encyclopaedia Britannica。 Vincent Spaulding did what he could to
cheer me up； but by bedtime I had reasoned myself out of the whole
thing。 However； in the morning I determined to have a look at it
anyhow； so I bought a penny bottle of ink； and with a quill…pen；
and seven sheets of foolscap paper； I started off for Pope's
Court。
〃Well； to my surprise and delight； everything was as right as
possible。 The table was set out ready for me； and Mr。 Duncan Ross
was there to see that I got fairly to work。 He started me off
upon the letter A； and then he left me； but he would drop in from
time to time to see that all was right with me。 At two o'clock he
bade me good…day； complimented me upon the amount that I had
written； and locked the door of the office after me。
〃This went on day after day； Mr。 Holmes； and on Saturday the
manager came in and planked down four golden sovereigns for my
week's work。 It was the same next week； and the same the week
after。 Every morning I was there at ten； and every afternoon I
left at two。 By degrees Mr。 Duncan Ross took to coming in only
once of a morning； and then； after a time； he did not come in at
all。 Still； of course； I never dared to leave the room for an
instant； for I was not sure when he might come； and the billet was
such a good one； and suited me so well； that I would not risk the
loss of it。
〃Eight weeks passed away like this； and I had written about
Abbots and Archery and Armour and Architecture and Attica； and
hoped with diligence that I might get on to the B's before very
long。 It cost me something in foolscap； and I had pretty nearly
filled a shelf with my writings。 And then suddenly the whole
business came to an end。〃
〃To an end？〃
〃Yes； sir。 And no later than this morning。 I went to my work
as usual at ten o'clock； but the door was shut and locked； with a
little square of card…board hammered on to the middle of the panel
with a tack。 Here it is； and you can read for yourself。〃
He held up a piece of white card…board about the size of a
sheet of note…paper。 It read in this fashion：
THE RED…HEADED LEAGUE
IS
DISSOLVED。
October 9； 1890。
Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt announcement and the
rueful face behind it； until the comical side of the affair so
completely overtopped every other consideration that we both burst
out into a roar of laughter。
〃I cannot see that there is anything very funny；〃 cried our
client； flushing up to the roots of his flaming head。 〃If you can
do nothing better than laugh at me； I can go elsewhere。〃
〃No； no；〃 cried Holmes； shoving him back into the chair from
which he had half risen。 〃I really wouldn't miss your case for
the world。 It is most refreshingly unusual。 But there is； if you
will excuse my saying so； something just a little funny about it。
Pray what steps did you take when you found the card upon the
door？〃
〃I was staggered； sir。 I did not know what to do。 Then I
called at the offices round； but none of them seemed to know
anything about it。 Finally； I went to the landlord； who is an
accountant living on the ground…floor； and I asked him if he could
tell me what had become of the Red…headed League。 He said that he
had never heard of any such body。 Then I asked him who Mr。 Duncan
Ross was。 He answered that the name was new to him。
〃‘Well；' said I； ‘the gentleman at No。 4。'
〃‘What； the red…headed man？'
〃‘Yes。'
〃‘Oh；' said he； ‘his name was William Morris。 He was a
solicitor and was using my room as a temporary convenience until
his new premises were ready。 He moved out yesterday。'
〃‘Where could I find him？'
〃‘Oh； at his new offices。 He did tell me the address。 Yes；
17 King Edward Street； near St。 Paul's。'
〃I started off； Mr。 Holmes； but when I got to that address it
was a manufactory of artificial knee…caps； and no one in it had
ever heard of either Mr。 William Morris or Mr。 Duncan Ross。〃
〃And what did you do then？〃 asked Holmes。
〃I went home to Saxe…Coburg Square； and I took the advice of
my assistant。 But he could not help me in any way。 He could only
say that if I waited I should hear by post。 But that was not
quite good enough； Mr。 Holmes。 I did not wish to lose such a
place without a struggle； so； as I had heard that you were good
enough to give advice to poor folk who were in need of it； I came
right