45683 Mr Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he stayed up all night, was seated at the breakfast table.
45684 I stood upon the hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left behind him the night before.
45685 It was a fine, thick piece of wood, bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as a 'Penang lawyer'.
45686 Just under the head was a broad silver band, nearly an inch across.
45687 'To James Mortimer, MRCS, from his friends of the CCH', was engraved upon it, with the date '1884'.
45688 It was just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used to carry - dignified, solid, and reassuring.
45689 'Well, Watson, what do you make of it?'
45690 Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I had given him no sign of my occupation.
45691 'How did you know what I was doing?
45692 I believe you have eyes in the back of your head.'
45693 'I have, at least, a well-polished, silver-plated coffee-pot in front of me,' said he.
45694 'But, tell me, Watson, what do you make of our visitor's stick?