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Arthur Conan Doyle Quotes - Page 11

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Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce

Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Writing, Obviousness, Done
"The Red-Headed League" (1891)

Nature is the true revelation of the Deity to man. The nearest green field is the inspired page from which you may read all that it is needful for you to know.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Men, Green Fields, May
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2013). “Collected Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Delphi Classics)”, p.4044, Delphi Classics

...Holmes, who loathed every form of society with his whole Bohemian soul, remained in our lodgings in Baker Street, buried among his old books, and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug, and the fierce energy of his own keen nature.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Book, Ambition, Drug
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1892). “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, p.4

The man might have died in a fit; but then the jewels are missing," mused the Inspector, "Ha! I have a theory. These flashes come upon me at times... What do you think of this, Holmes? Sholto was, on his own confession, with his brother last night. The brother died in a fit, on which Sholto walked off the treasure! How's that?" "On which the dead man very considerately got up and locked the door on the inside," said Holmes.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Brother, Thinking, Night

It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Flower, Giving, Goodness
"The Naval Treaty" (1893)

A client is to me a mere unit, a factor in a problem.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Business, Clients, Problem
Arthur Conan Doyle (2001). “The Sign of the Four; Or, the Problem of the Sholtos”, p.11, iUniverse

What can we know? What are we all? Poor silly half-brained things peering out at the infinite, with the aspirations of angels and the instinct of beasts.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Silly, Angel, Half
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1930). “The Stark Munro letters ; Danger! ; Other stories”

When you have one of the first brains of Europe up against you, and all the powers of darkness at his back, there are infinite possibilities.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Europe, Darkness, Brain
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2015). “Sherlock Holmes: The Novels: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)”, p.274, Penguin

To the man who loves art for its own sake, it is frequently in its least important and lowliest manifestations that the keenest pleasure is to be derived.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Art, Men, Important
Arthur Conan Doyle (2005). “The Sign of the Four”, p.87, Dramatic Publishing

The most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellent man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Children, Winning, Men
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2015). “Sherlock Holmes: The Novels: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)”, p.106, Penguin

I could not rest, Watson, I could not sit quiet in my chair, if I thought that such a man as Professor Moriarty were walking the streets of London unchallenged.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Men, London, Quiet
Arthur Conan Doyle (2006). “The Best of Sherlock Holmes: Literary Touchstone Classic”, p.91, Prestwick House Inc

Some facts should be suppressed, or, at least, a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Justice, Facts, Should
Arthur Conan Doyle (2016). “The Sign of the Four”, p.18, Arthur Conan Doyle

Exactly. She does not shine as a wife even in her own account of what occurred. I am not a whole-souled admirer of womankind, as you are aware, Watson, but my experience of life has taught me that there are few wives having any regard for their husbands who would let any man's spoken word stand between them and that husband's dead body. Should I ever marry, Watson, I should hope to inspire my wife with some feeling which would prevent her from being walked off by a housekeeper when my corpse was lying within a few yards of her.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Husband, Lying, Humorous
Arthur Conan Doyle, General Press (2016). “The Complete Sherlock Holmes: All 56 Stories & 4 Novels”, p.1192, GENERAL PRESS

So complex is the human spirit that it can itself scarce discern the deep springs which impel it to action.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Spring, Spirit, Action
Arthur Conan Doyle (2015). “The White Company”, p.140, Booklassic

If the fresh facts come to our knowledge all fit themselves into the scheme, then our hypothesis may gradually become a solution. Sherlock Holmes speaking with Dr. Watson.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Knowledge, Drs, May

Excellent!" I cried. "Elementary," said he.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Classic, Easy, Excellent
"The Adventure of the Crooked Man" (1893) See Arthur Conan Doyle 39

I can never bring you to realize the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness of thumb-nails, or the great issues that may hang from a boot-lace.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Issues, Nails, Boots
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1892). “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, p.66

So it was, my dear Watson, that at two o'clock today I found myself in my old armchair in my own old room, and only wishing that I could have seen my old friend Watson in the other chair which he has so often adorned. - Sherlock Holmes.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Two, Old Friends, Wish
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated)”, p.806, Delphi Classics

You mentioned your name as if I should recognize it, but beyond the obvious facts that you are a bachelor, a solicitor, a freemason, and an asthmatic, I know nothing whatever about you.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Book, Names, Facts
Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905) "The Norwood Builder"

The more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the more difficult it is to bring it home.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Home, Crime, Difficult
"The Boscombe Valley Mystery" (1891)

Should I ever marry, Watson, I should hope to inspire my wife with some feeling which would prevent her from being walked off by a housekeeper when my corpse was lying within a few yards of her.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Lying, Wife, Inspire
Arthur Conan Doyle (2013). “The Complete Sherlock Holmes”, p.834, Race Point Publishing

'Men die of the diseases which they have studied most,' remarked the surgeon, snipping off the end of a cigar with all his professional neatness and finish. 'It's as if the morbid condition was an evil creature which, when it found itself closely hunted, flew at the throat of its pursuer. If you worry the microbes too much they may worry you. I've seen cases of it, and not necessarily in microbic diseases either. There was, of course, the well-known instance of Liston and the aneurism; and a dozen others that I could mention.'

Arthur Conan Doyle
Men, Evil, Worry
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2013). “Collected Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Delphi Classics)”, p.6714, Delphi Classics

If the man who observes the myriad stars, and considers that they and their innumerable satellites move in their serene dignity through the heavens, each swinging clear of the other's orbit-if, I say, the man who sees this cannot realise the Creator's attributes without the help of the book of Job, then his view of things is beyond my understanding.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Jobs, Stars, Moving
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (2013). “Collected Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Delphi Classics)”, p.4045, Delphi Classics

Philosophy, astronomy, and politics were marked at zero, I remember. Botany variable, geology profound as regards the mud stains from any region within fifty miles of town, chemistry eccentric, anatomy unsystematic, sensational literature and crime records unique, violin player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and self-poisoner by cocaine and tobacco.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Education, Zero, Philosophy
Arthur Conan Doyle, Scott McKowen (2004). “The Adventures and the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes”, p.117, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.

Once or twice in my career I feel that I have done more real harm by my discovery of the criminal than ever he had done by his crime. I have learned caution now, and I had rather play tricks with the law of England than with my own conscience.

Arthur Conan Doyle
Real, Discovery, Law
Arthur Conan Doyle (2016). “The Return of Sherlock Holmes”, p.162, My Ebook Publishing House

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