A young woman knocked the door of Sherlock Holmes’s flat.  She was afraid of her stepfather.  She was afraid of animals and gipsies he let in.  She was afraid of the mystery of her sister’s death.  She told Holmes and his friend that she was in danger just like her sister two years ago.  They decided to go to her house near a village in the country.  Holmes said to Watson, “We must move fast.”

あらすじに書いた The Speckled Band を含め、20分程度で読めるストーリー3つで構成されています。多読をするときには、できれば一気に読んだ方が望ましいのですが、なかなか時間が取れない方は、このような短編を用いれば一気に読む習慣もつけ易いと思います。あのHolmesが “the woman” と呼ぶ Irene Adler が登場する作品も入っています。