Holmes protested that he may have been clumsy, but I could not
seriously imagine he had neglected to get the number - 2704.  However,
our man was now alerted and would be lost, though he would not follow
our visitors any further for the moment. All we could swear to was the
man's beard, said Holmes, which proved that it was probably a false one
to conceal his features.
We turned into one of the District messenger offices, where Holmes was
warmly greeted by the manager, Wilson, whose good name & whose life my
friend had apparently once saved.  Holmes asked for the boy, Cartwright,
a lad of fourteen, with a bright, keen face, who gazed with reverence at
my companion.  Holmes showed Cartwright a "Hotel Directory" and the
names of twenty-three hotels around Charing Cross.  He told the boy
to visit each one in turn and give each outside porter one shilling.
