What clues did Sherlock Holmes work upon to get at the fact that the story of the three Garridebs was a ruse?

What was John Garrideb’s objective in inventing the story of Alexander Hamilton Garrideb and his legacy?

Why didn’t John Garrideb like the idea of including Holmes in the hunt for the third Garrideb?

Look at the highlighted expressions in the following sentences from the text and explain their figurative meaning

♦ ‘I went through it, sir, with a fine-toothed comb and never a Garrideb could I catch.’

♦ ‘They are my favourite covert for putting up a bird, and I would never have overlooked a cock pheasant as that.’

♦ ‘There is no bolt-hole for you in this country.’

♦ ‘When his castle in the air fell down, it buried him beneath the ruins.’

Who was Roger Presbury and how was John Garrideb connected with him?

Entomologist and lepidopterist are mentioned in the text and you must have guessed the meanings of these words or found them out from the dictionary.

Now match the kinds of scientists given below with the work they do:

Look at the words given in the box below

snigger , wriggle , sneak , squeak

squawk, titter, pant, chuckle

giggle, jeer, chortle, guffaw

sigh, sidle, boo, shriek

scramble, croak, straggle, plod gasp

Now classify them according to their closeness in meaning to the words are given below

Make a list of items that are referred to differently in British and American English, for example, ‘lift’ (BE) ‘elevator’ (AmE).

How has the author used the episode of the bank theft to comment on Satyajit’s success in his career?

Nouveau riche and bourgeoise are French words. Collect from newspapers, magazines, and other sources some more French words or expressions that are commonly used in English.

How does the first person narrative help in heightening the literary effects of the story?