"It makes a considerable difference to me, having someone with me on whom I can thoroughly rely.

Local aid is always either worthless or else biassed.

If you will keep the two corner seats I shall get the tickets." We had the carriage to ourselves save for an immense litter of papers which Holmes had brought with him.

Among these he rummaged and read, with intervals of note-taking and of meditation, until we were past Reading.

Then he suddenly rolled them all into a gigantic ball and tossed them up onto the rack.
"Have you heard anything of the case ?" he asked.
"Not a word.