The case which I call ‘The Norwood Builder’ began for us
in a very dramatic way. Holmes and I had just finished a
late breakfast one morning, and we were talking in our sitting
room in Baker Street. Holmes was about to open his morning
newspaper, when we heard a lot of noise outside. A moment
later, someone was knocking at the door, very hard. Then the
door opened and a young man rushed
in. His face was pale
and his fair hair and his clothes were untidy. His blue eyes
were frightened. He had obviously been running, and he was
breathing heavily.