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I [aɪ] had [hæd] seen [si¦n] little [lɪtl] of [ɒv] Holmes [həʊmz] lately [leɪtli]. My [maɪ] marriage [mærɪʤ] had [hæd] drifted [drɪftɪd] us [ʌs] away [əweɪ] from [frɒm] each [i¦ʧ] other [ʌðə]. My [maɪ] own [əʊn] complete [kəmpli¦t] happiness [hæpɪnɪs], and [ænd] the [ðə] home-centred [həʊm] [sɛntəd] interests [ɪntrɪsts] which [wɪʧ] rise [raɪz] up [ʌp] around [əraʊnd] the [ðə] man [mæn] who [hu¦] first [fɜ¦st] finds [faɪndz] himself [hɪmsɛlf] master [mɑ¦stər] of [ɒv] his [hɪz] own [əʊn] establishment [ɪstæblɪʃmənt], were [wɜ¦] sufficient [səfɪʃənt] to [tu¦] absorb [əbsɔ¦b] all [ɔ¦l] my [maɪ] attention [ətɛnʃn], while [waɪl] Holmes [həʊmz], who [hu¦] loathed [ləʊðd] every [ɛvri] form [fɔ¦m] of [ɒv] society [səsaɪəti] with [wɪð] his [hɪz] whole [həʊl] Bohemian [bəʊhi¦mjən] soul [səʊl], remained [rɪmeɪnd] in [ɪn] our [aʊə] lodgings [lɒʤɪŋz] in [ɪn] Baker [beɪkə] Street [stri¦t], buried [bɛrid] among [əmʌŋ] his [hɪz] old [əʊld] books [bʊks], and [ænd] alternating [ɔ¦ltəneɪtɪŋ] from [frɒm] week [wi¦k] to [tu¦] week [wi¦k] between [bɪtwi¦n] cocaine [kəkeɪn] and [ænd] ambition [æmbɪʃn], the [ðə] drowsiness [draʊzɪnəs] of [ɒv] the [ðə] drug [drʌg], and [ænd] the [ðə] fierce [fɪəs] energy [ɛnəʤi] of [ɒv] his [hɪz] own [əʊn] keen [ki¦n] nature [neɪʧə]. He [hi¦] was [wɒz] still [stɪl], as [æz] ever [ɛvə], deeply [di¦pli] attracted [ətræktɪd] by [baɪ] the [ðə] study [stʌdi] of [ɒv] crime [kraɪm], and [ænd] occupied [ɒkjʊpaɪd] his [hɪz] immense [ɪmɛns] faculties [fækəltiz] and [ænd] extraordinary [ɪkstrɔ¦dnri] powers [paʊəz] of [ɒv] observation [ɒbzəveɪʃən] in [ɪn] following [fɒləʊɪŋ] out [aʊt] those [ðəʊz] clues [klu¦z], and [ænd] clearing [klɪərɪŋ] up [ʌp] those [ðəʊz] mysteries [mɪstəriz] which [wɪʧ] had [hæd] been [bi¦n] abandoned [əbændənd] as [æz] hopeless [həʊplɪs] by [baɪ] the [ði] official [əfɪʃəl] police [pəli¦s]. From [frɒm] time [taɪm] to [tu¦] time [taɪm] I [aɪ] heard [hɜ¦d] some [sʌm] vague [veɪg] account [əkaʊnt] of [ɒv] his [hɪz] doings [duɪŋz]: of [ɒv] his [hɪz] summons [sʌmənz] to [tu¦] Odessa [əʊdɛsə] in [ɪn] the [ðə] case [keɪs] of [ɒv] the [ðə] Trepoff murder [mɜ¦də], of [ɒv] his [hɪz] clearing [klɪərɪŋ] up [ʌp] of [ɒv] the [ðə] singular [sɪŋgjʊlə] tragedy [træʤɪdi] of [ɒv] the [ði] Atkinson brothers [brʌðəz] at [æt] Trincomalee, and [ænd] finally [faɪnəli] of [ɒv] the [ðə] mission [mɪʃən] which [wɪʧ] he [hi¦] had [hæd] accomplished [əkɒmplɪʃt] so [səʊ] delicately [dɛlɪkɪtli] and [ænd] successfully [səksɛsfʊli] for [fɔ¦] the [ðə] reigning [reɪnɪŋ] family [fæmɪli] of [ɒv] Holland [hɒlənd]. Beyond [bɪjɒnd] these [ði¦z] signs [saɪnz] of [ɒv] his [hɪz] activity [æktɪvɪti], however [haʊɛvə], which [wɪʧ] I [aɪ] merely [mɪəli] shared [ʃeəd] with [wɪð] all [ɔ¦l] the [ðə] readers [ri¦dəz] of [ɒv] the [ðə] daily [deɪli] press [prɛs], I [aɪ] knew [nju¦] little [lɪtl] of [ɒv] my [maɪ] former [fɔ¦mə] friend [frɛnd] and [ænd] companion [kəmpænjən].