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«There [ðeə] will [wɪl] call [kɔ¦l] upon [əpɒn] you [ju¦] to-night [tu¦] [naɪt], at [æt] a [ə] quarter [kwɔ¦tə] to [tu¦] eight [eɪt] o’clock [əklɒk],» it [ɪt] said [sɛd], «a [ə] gentleman [ʤɛntlmən] who [hu¦] desires [dɪzaɪəz] to [tu¦] consult [kənsʌlt] you [ju¦] upon [əpɒn] a [ə] matter [mætər] of [ɒv] the [ðə] very [vɛri] deepest [di¦pɪst] moment [məʊmənt]. Your [jɔ¦] recent [ri¦snt] services [sɜ¦vɪsɪz] to [tu¦] one [wʌn] of [ɒv] the [ðə] royal [rɔɪəl] houses [haʊzɪz] of [ɒv] Europe [jʊərəp] have [hæv] shown [ʃəʊn] that [ðæt] you [ju¦] are [ɑ¦] one [wʌn] who [hu¦] may [meɪ] safely [seɪfli] be [bi¦] trusted [trʌstɪd] with [wɪð] matters [mætəz] which [wɪʧ] are [ɑ¦r] of [ɒv] an [ən] importance [ɪmpɔ¦təns] which [wɪʧ] can [kæn] hardly [hɑ¦dli] be [bi¦] exaggerated [ɪgzæʤəreɪtɪd]. This [ðɪs] account [əkaʊnt] of [ɒv] you [ju¦] we [wi¦] have [hæv] from [frɒm] all [ɔ¦l] quarters [kwɔ¦təz] received [rɪsi¦vd]. Be [bi¦] in [ɪn] your [jɔ¦] chamber [ʧeɪmbə] then [ðɛn] at [æt] that [ðæt] hour [aʊə], and [ænd] do [du¦] not [nɒt] take [teɪk] it [ɪt] amiss [əmɪs] if [ɪf] your [jɔ¦] visitor [vɪzɪtə] wear [weər] a [ə] mask [mɑ¦sk].»
«This [ðɪs] is [ɪz] indeed [ɪndi¦d] a [ə] mystery [mɪstəri],» I [aɪ] remarked [rɪmɑ¦kt]. «What [wɒt] do [du¦] you [ju¦] imagine [ɪmæʤɪn] that [ðæt] it [ɪt] means [mi¦nz]?»
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«I [aɪ] have [hæv] no [nəʊ] data [deɪtə] yet [jɛt]. It [ɪt] is [ɪz] a [ə] capital [kæpɪtl] mistake [mɪsteɪk] to [tu¦] theorise [θɪəraɪz] before [bɪfɔ¦] one [wʌn] has [hæz] data [deɪtə]. Insensibly [ɪnsɛnsəbli] one [wʌn] begins [bɪgɪnz] to [tu¦] twist [twɪst] facts [fækts] to [tu¦] suit [sju¦t] theories [θɪəriz], instead [ɪnstɛd] of [ɒv] theories [θɪəriz] to [tu¦] suit [sju¦t] facts [fækts]. But [bʌt] the [ðə] note [nəʊt] itself [ɪtsɛlf]. What [wɒt] do [du¦] you [ju¦] deduce [dɪdju¦s] from [frɒm] it [ɪt]?»
I [aɪ] carefully [keəfli] examined [ɪgzæmɪnd] the [ðə] writing [raɪtɪŋ], and [ænd] the [ðə] paper [peɪpər] upon [əpɒn] which [wɪʧ] it [ɪt] was [wɒz] written [rɪtn].
«The [ðə] man [mæn] who [hu¦] wrote [rəʊt] it [ɪt] was [wɒz] presumably [prɪzju¦məbli] well [wɛl] to [tu¦] do [du¦],» I [aɪ] remarked [rɪmɑ¦kt], endeavouring [ɪndɛvərɪŋ] to [tu¦] imitate [ɪmɪteɪt] my [maɪ] companion’s [kəmpænjənz] processes [prəʊsɛsɪz]. «Such [sʌʧ] paper [peɪpə] could [kʊd] not [nɒt] be [bi¦] bought [bɔ¦t] under [ʌndə] half [hɑ¦f] a [ə] crown [kraʊn] a [ə] packet [pækɪt]. It [ɪt] is [ɪz] peculiarly [pɪkju¦liəli] strong [strɒŋ] and [ænd] stiff [stɪf].»
«Peculiar [pɪkju¦liə] – that [ðæt] is [ɪz] the [ðə] very [vɛri] word [wɜ¦d],» said [sɛd] Holmes [həʊmz]. «It [ɪt] is [ɪz] not [nɒt] an [ən] English [ɪŋglɪʃ] paper [peɪpər] at [æt] all [ɔ¦l]. Hold [həʊld] it [ɪt] up [ʌp] to [tu¦] the [ðə] light [laɪt].»
I [aɪ] did [dɪd] so [səʊ], and [ænd] saw [sɔ¦] a [ə] large [lɑ¦ʤ] «E [i¦]» with [wɪð] a [ə] small [smɔ¦l] «g [ʤi¦],» a [ə] «P [pi¦],» and [ænd] a [ə] large [lɑ¦ʤ] «G [ʤi¦]» with [wɪð] a [ə] small [smɔ¦l] «t [ti¦]» woven [wəʊvən] into [ɪntu¦] the [ðə] texture [tɛksʧər] of [ɒv] the [ðə] paper [peɪpə].
«What [wɒt] do [du¦] you [ju¦] make [meɪk] of [ɒv] that [ðæt]?» asked [ɑ¦skt] Holmes [həʊmz].
«The [ðə] name [neɪm] of [ɒv] the [ðə] maker [meɪkə], no [nəʊ] doubt [daʊt]; or [ɔ¦] his [hɪz] monogram [mɒnəgræm], rather [rɑ¦ðə].»
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«Not [nɒt] at [æt] all [ɔ¦l]. The [ðə] «G [ʤi¦]» with [wɪð] the [ðə] small [smɔ¦l] «t [ti¦]» stands [stændz] for [fɔ¦] «Gesellschaft,» which [wɪʧ] is [ɪz] the [ðə] German [ʤɜ¦mən] for [fɔ¦] «Company [kʌmpəni].» It [ɪt] is [ɪz] a [ə] customary [kʌstəməri] contraction [kəntrækʃən] like [laɪk] our [aʊə] «Co [kəʊ].» «P [pi¦],» of [ɒv] course [kɔ¦s], stands [stændz] for [fɔ¦] «Papier.» Now [naʊ] for [fɔ¦] the [ði] «Eg.» Let [lɛt] us [ʌs] glance [glɑ¦ns] at [æt] our [aʊə] Continental [kɒntɪnɛntl] Gazetteer [gæzɪtɪə].» He [hi¦] took [tʊk] down [daʊn] a [ə] heavy [hɛvi] brown [braʊn] volume [vɒljʊm] from [frɒm] his [hɪz] shelves [ʃɛlvz]. «Eglow, Eglonitz – here [hɪə] we [wi¦] are [ɑ¦], Egria. It [ɪt] is [ɪz] in [ɪn] a [ə] German-speaking [ʤɜ¦mən] [spi¦kɪŋ] country [kʌntri] – in [ɪn] Bohemia [bəʊhi¦mjə], not [nɒt] far [fɑ¦] from [frɒm] Carlsbad. «Remarkable [rɪmɑ¦kəbl] as [æz] being [bi¦ɪŋ] the [ðə] scene [si¦n] of [ɒv] the [ðə] death [dɛθ] of [ɒv] Wallenstein, and [ænd] for [fɔ¦r] its [ɪts] numerous [nju¦mərəs] glass-factories [glɑ¦s] [fæktəriz] and [ænd] paper-mills [peɪpəmɪlz].» Ha [hɑ¦], ha [hɑ¦], my [maɪ] boy [bɔɪ], what [wɒt] do [du¦] you [ju¦] make [meɪk] of [ɒv] that [ðæt]?» His [hɪz] eyes [aɪz] sparkled [spɑ¦kld], and [ænd] he [hi¦] sent [sɛnt] up [ʌp] a [ə] great [greɪt] blue [blu¦] triumphant [traɪʌmfənt] cloud [klaʊd] from [frɒm] his [hɪz] cigarette [sɪgərɛt].
«The [ðə] paper [peɪpə] was [wɒz] made [meɪd] in [ɪn] Bohemia [bəʊhi¦mjə],» I [aɪ] said [sɛd].
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«Precisely [prɪsaɪsli]. And [ænd] the [ðə] man [mæn] who [hu¦] wrote [rəʊt] the [ðə] note [nəʊt] is [ɪz] a [ə] German [ʤɜ¦mən]. Do [du¦] you [ju¦] note [nəʊt]