The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.

An absence of antecedents and of relatives is sometimes an aid rather than an impediment to social advancement . . .

Why should people ever take credit for charity when they must know that they cannot gain as much pleasure out of their guineas in any other fashion?

All right, Watson. Don’t look so scared,” he muttered in a very weak voice. “It’s not as bad as it seems.” “Thank God for that!” “I’m a bit of a single-stick expert, as you know. I took most of them on my guard. It was the second man that was too much for me.” “What can I do, Holmes? Of course, it was that damned fellow who set them on. I’ll go and thrash the hide off him if you give the word.” “Good old Watson!(...)

A man with so large a brain must have something in it.

There are heroisms all round us waiting to be done.

He burst into one of his rare fits of laughter as he turned away from the picture. I have not heard him laugh often, and it has always boded ill to somebody.