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    The Sign of Four
    The Sign of Four
    The Sign of Four
    Ebook150 pages3 hours

    The Sign of Four

    By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous London detective Sherlock Holmes tackles another intriguing case.
    A young woman seeks Holmes' help after a crazed, escapee murderer refuses to leave her alone in his search for missing treasure. When the young woman is kidnapped Holmes and Watson start their search in the city’s criminal underworld.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAUK Classics
    Release dateJun 19, 2012
    ISBN9781781667484
    Author

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a Scottish writer and physician, most famous for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes and long-suffering sidekick Dr Watson. Conan Doyle was a prolific writer whose other works include fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels.

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    Reviews for The Sign of Four

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    • 4/5
      The Sign of Four means murder! Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson accompany a beautiful young woman to a sinister assignation. Mary Morstan receives a mystery letter telling her she is a wronged woman. In order to seek justice she's to meet her unknown benefactor, bringing with her two companions. But surprise, surprise, there are others stalking in the fog of London! A one-legged ruffian has revenge on his mind - and his companions, who place no value on human life!
      This story has non-stop action and it's certainly believable (bearing in mind when it was written)- It has a really surprising ending - jewel-thieves at its best. With greed another factor, there is plenty of adventure and mystery to get you turning-over the page. There's also a destination of love for Dr Watson with Mary Morstan!
      Yes, at times it's certainly curious and intriguing.. along with its whodunit theme.
      A well written story with lots of very good description and detail. Some really great characters.


    • 3/5
      I listened to this book for a few days on my way to/from work, which was easy to do. I hadn't heard of this story before and I'm not really surprised. It was okay, and i liked it, but I don't think I'd bother to listen to it again, or to read it.
    • 4/5
      Opens with Sherlock self-administering class-A drugs intravenously... because he's bored. How very Trainspotting. Another romp through the streets of London or rather down the Thames in this instance. A locked-room mystery instantly solved and love at first sight for Dr. Watson. Charming and fun.
    • 4/5
      Not quite the classic of Study in Scarlet or Valley of Fear, an adventure that roams to an Indian hard labour camp, where some of the inmates get involved with jewels and crooked British Officers.
    • 4/5
      3.5 Stars. Didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one.
    • 2/5
      After being disappointed with "A Study in Scarlet", I decided to tackle a second Holmes novel in the hopes that things would improve. Sadly, they didn't. I'm not beaten yet - I'll be attempting "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" as my next train-to-work novel - but so far, this doesn't do anything for me.

      There are some good elements here: Holmes of course is an enjoyable response to the crime fiction that existed at the time. His methods of deduction, while sometimes ponderous, are always clever. Unfortunately, there's very little else to be said for this book.

      Watson continues to be an uninteresting narrator; the supporting characters are mostly forgettable, with the exception (oddly) of the police characters, who so far I have found pleasant; and Holmes himself, as many other reviewers seem to note, is at his least likeable here. Obviously, we're supposed to be somewhat confounded by his aloof personality, but his treatment of other members of the human race is extremely off-putting. Like the 2000s versions - Dr. House, etc. - it's supposedly tempered by his desire to help the innocent and fearful, but really the fact that he only seems to have a heart for small children just leads me to assume he is a sociopath.

      And then there is the mystery itself: here, Conan Doyle reveals himself as mostly a pulp writer, it seems. Like "A Study in Scarlet", this mystery is decidedly outlandish: cannibalistic midgets, wooden legs, etc, etc. Yes it's escapism and I accept that, but the problem is these mysteries are almost tailor-made for Sherlock Holmes. No human being could possibly be expected to guess from a simple murder that it involved so many elaborate contrivances and foreign devils. It seems strange to say it, but if Holmes could instead investigate a (complex) drawing-room mystery or the like, I might be drawn into the work more, as this would require him to piece together clues within my human scope of comprehension. I'm not asking for an easy mystery, just one that has more of a human element.

      Anyway, I'll be interested to continue reading the Holmes books (although I may slow down, as I do have the rest of my life), and perhaps find out why he has become such a mythical figure!
    • 5/5
      In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four, which is the second book featuring the famed detective Sherlock Holmes, the authors vivid imagination tells another riveting detective story. The book begins and ends with Sherlock Holmes injecting himself with cocaine simply because he is bored due to not having a murder case to occupy his mind. Readers get to know Holmes and Dr. Watson a little better in this book. The story is so detailed and well conceived that it almost seems real. I will be looking forward to the next installment in this series, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
    • 5/5
      Excellent for what it is, of course. This is the second Holmes novella, fits the formula perfectly, and is enjoyable from beginning to end. It features a locked room mystery (sort of), the usual mysteries that had their origin overseas, and even a little romantic interest for Watson. It is not quite as confounding and mysterious, nor is the solution quite as satisfying, as many of the later Holmes stories. But still excellent.
    • 4/5
      The Sign of Four brings in a lot of character development and description - we get to see Watson and Holmes' famous friendship (such as when they are led to a complete dead-end by a dog who has gotten on the wrong track) as well as find out more of Watson's personal history. I also quite like the narrative voice, as Watson can be quite the charmer at times, though occasionally melodramatic, an opinion with which I'm sure Sherlock would agree. The long exposition at the end, though it didn't drag nearly as much as Jefferson Hope's, was still a bit tedious compared to the adventures leading up to it.
    • 2/5
      mostly of interest to me for the wildly extravagant racism and the portrayal of drug use.
    • 3/5
      Summary: A young lady has been sent pearls. Sherlock and Watson investigate their origin, along with a cryptic letter that promises to explain all.The Take-Away: My love of the classics is two-fold: I love stories that well told even by modern standards; I love seeing how the world has changed. For instance, Sherlock Holmes was a cocaine user. When he wasn't solving mysteries, he was so bored with life, that a 7% solution was one of the two things that made life tolerable -- the other being morphine.I also love seeing how writing has changed. "Editing" the title helps me to think through what would need to be done to make it sell in today's market. Working out that muscle also helps my own writing.Sherlock isn't nearly as interesting as Watson. Sherlock is cool and undistribed, always right whereas Watson is emotional and often overlooks what Sherlock considers a clue. Indulge me a bit here: Sherlock is always right, because the author makes sure he is. If Sherlock missed a clue, here and there, like Watson often does, would the books be considered as great? Is it because Sherlock is a larger than life character that they've carried through the years?Recommendation: If you like classics, Sherlock is a great detective.
    • 4/5
      A quick, easy and straight-forward read. I liked how the solutions were doled out in bits & pieces as the story progressed. Sherlock Holmes remains my favorite cocaine-addicted detective. LOL!!
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this; though I probably laughed more - at the sexism, racism, and general ethnocentrism ingrained in the text - than Sir Arthur intended, it's an engaging, well-written little caper with some great chase scenes and iconic bits of dialogue.
    • 2/5
      Meh. Dr. Watson's romance was pretty much the only interesting thing about this particular book. At least it was short.
    • 3/5
      A young woman appeals to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson for help. During the course of the investigation, the detective and his friend are called upon to solve a locked-room murder and discover the story of the disappearance of the Agra treasure from India over twenty years ago.I believe this novella was written at the start of Conan Doyle's career, and it shows: the pacing is quite uneven, and individual plot strands are quite preposterous. Still, some of the usual Sherlock Holmes trademarks are there: the bumbling police inspector out of his depth, the use of the Baker Street irregulars, Holmes's drug use and playing of the violin, Watson being used as a sounding board for the great detective's fanciful - yet inevitably accurate - ideas. This story introduces the character of Mary Morstan, who later becomes Watson's wife, but has otherwise little to say or do, apart from being the subject of Watson's immediate adoration. One for completists.
    • 3/5
      Liked the book far more than any of the screen adaptations I have seen, well worth the reading.
    • 2/5
      Dr. Watson, maybe there are easier ways to pick up women than chasing pygmies and peg-legged people down the Thames.
    • 4/5
      This second novel of Holmes's adventures is a tale of stolen treasure, betrayal, and of course murder. Holmes is his usual self, driving the police absolutely mad with just how right he is all the time. One of the things that most captivates me about Sherlock Holmes's detective work is that it all takes place before the advent of fingerprinting. There are so many inferences he would never need to make today if he could show who touched what. Anyway, back to the story. The plot was pleasantly complex. Watson's romance was adorable. My favorite part, though, was when the pair found themselves on the wrong trail and suddenly burst into laughter. While I certainly enjoy witnessing Holmes's amazing (and often unlikely) feats of deduction and inference, its his friendship with Watson that truly makes the stories come alive.
    • 5/5
      Excellent for what it is, of course. This is the second Holmes novella, fits the formula perfectly, and is enjoyable from beginning to end. It features a locked room mystery (sort of), the usual mysteries that had their origin overseas, and even a little romantic interest for Watson. It is not quite as confounding and mysterious, nor is the solution quite as satisfying, as many of the later Holmes stories. But still excellent.
    • 3/5
      A client walks in and Watson falls in love. At the end there is a long section with Jonathan Smalls back story leading up to the case.
    • 4/5
      This was my second Sherlock Holmes book and I enjoyed it as much as the first. This book introduces us to Holmes' cocaine habit, and Watson meets a girl he likes, so it was nice to have that type of character development. The way Holmes uses logic to solve the crime of the story is again interesting and fun to read. I also liked the bit of history mixed into the story - this time dealing with British rule in India. A quick read and I will continue to read the Holmes' stories in the future.
    • 4/5
      Things I learned in this book: Watson is way more appealing a character, much of the time, than Holmes. The wrestling really is part of his character. So is the cocaine. Holmes is really irritating when he refuses to share his ideas.

      It's funny reading reviews, because there are wildly differing ideas about whether this one is any good or not. Some say yes, some cry no. I enjoyed it well enough, and I thought the structure of it was better than A Study In Scarlet, with a decent transition into the flashback bit. I wasn't really expecting that to be such an important bit of the book -- it took up a decent chunk of it! -- and I wonder if all of them are like that. I shall find out anon, I imagine.

      I'm also interested that, of the two of them, Sherlock Holmes is the bigger icon, and yet Watson is rather more likeable. His "romance" with Mary Morstan isn't exactly subtle, but there's something about his frankness about how she distracts him and enchants him which is touching and nice.
    • 3/5
      My first Sherlock Holmes read. The characters of Holmes and Watson were more fun than I imagined they'd be! But, the story got over-long, even tho the book itself is tiny.
    • 4/5
      This was very weird compared to the previous Holmes book I read. Less Mormon-hating, more racism. Also, what with reading The Mad Ship and watching Muppet Treasure Island recently, I feel like everything I see is about how one-legged men are evil. :s
    • 4/5
      This is the second Sherlock Holmes novel. I was surprised to find that Holmes was already using cocaine this early in the series. I had been told in class that Conan Doyle had introduced Holmes' drug use in order to make him less likable, because he didn't wish to continue writing about him. That seems an unlikely motive for the second published work, so I guess I can throw that theory out the window.The client in this story is Mary Morstan, whose father disappeared under mysterious circumstances and who is now receiving very strange letters from an anonymous benefactor. This is learned to be Thaddeus Sholto, whose father had hidden a treasure that Miss Morstan's father also had a claim to. The treasure is located by Thaddeus Shoto's brother Benjamin, and when Holmes, Watson and Miss Morstan go with Thaddeus to his brother's home, they find Benjamin dead inside a locked bedroom with the windows all locked shut. Homes deduces the means of the killers' entry and exit and uses a dog to follow the trail, as well as his Baker Street Irregulars. He even uses a disguise to do a bit of snooping himself. This, of course, is what pays off. Once the killer is caught, he relates his whole tale to Holmes, Watson, and Inspector Athelny Jones.There is a bit of a love story in this one too: Watson and Mary fall in love and are engaged by the end of the book. Holmes sighs at Watson's decision to marry since love is so illogical, but he pays Mary the compliment in saying that she "had a decided genius in that way," meaning in investigative work. Quite high praise coming from him.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
    • 4/5
      Having already read The Hound of the Baskervilles, I turned to another one of the published Holmes novels, The Sign of Four, in part because it is available in a Penguin Classics edition. Felicitously, I found it to be one of the best detective novels of its time.The story is wonderfully paced with plenty of excitement, from chasing down the criminals through the use of a dog to another appearance by the Baker Street irregulars, and a thrilling boat chase for the climax of the story. More than a century after it was first written, the novel shows little sign of its age. The Sign of Four is well-paced, exciting, and even action packed story. It represents Doyle at his finest in many ways. The mystery is somewhat bizarre with its use of exotic weapons and strange footprints, but not too outre as seemed to be the case in some of the later Holmes stories such as "The Creeping Man." As is often the case it involves a young woman, with the added attraction of a treasure making the case even more interesting.I think that while in Study in Scarlet, we learned about Holmes, in this book we begin to see Holmes' personality: the genius who is so driven to avoid hum drum existence, who seeks problems and trouble to find some problem to keep his attention. The novel is also noteworthy for its focus on Holmes' use of Cocaine in the beginning and end. Dr. Watson (and by extension Dr. Doyle) were concerned about the use of Cocaine in the late 19th Century and its negative effects. However, Doyle wasn't heavy handed in his approach, and so Watson's concern sounds more like a modern doctor's concern with any popular addiction. And Holmes is blaise about it, leading to some interactions and statement that may seem surreal or humorous to the modern reader.
    • 4/5
      This one had a lot of the dated language and imagery I'd expect from a Victorian novel unfortunately, so be aware of that going in. Colonialism was strong here. Besides that it had something that I think a lot of the short stories lack, and I really found that fun. The 'high speed boat chase' was absolutely hilarious to me, though I enjoyed it. After reading Lindsey Faye's Sherlock shorts now I'm seeing the constant romanticized descriptions of women and it's just so over the top and ridiculous. I did like seeing Watson and Mary's relationship though, that was very cute. Sadly the mystery in this one was not very mysterious, I was a bit bummed on how simple it worked out to be. Ah well!
    • 4/5
      Drug use pretty daring, funny, original.
    • 4/5
      I inherited a set of Holmes a few years back but hesitated to read them for fear they'd be difficult due to old-fashioned language & style, and due to references to unfamiliar history and culture. Well, they were amazingly accessible and interesting. Highly recommended.

      But don't start with this one (or with Hound of the Baskervilles) and do try to read them in some sort of order. This particular was a bit convoluted (after all, it's longer than many, too).
    • 2/5
      Interesting enough story about lost and stolen treasure, interesting characters, poison arrow darts, brilliant deductions, and even some romance for Dr. Watson. Even the First time in the classic Holmes that I recall hearing of his drug use.Normally I love Sherlock Holmes but this one just drug on for me. I'm going to blame it in part of the Audio, the music in between scenes just didn't do it for and I'm guessing I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for some classic Holmes.

    Book preview

    The Sign of Four - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    purchaser.

    Chapter I

    The Science of Deduction

    Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantel-piece and his hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case. With his long, white, nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle, and rolled back his left shirt-cuff. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy forearm and wrist all dotted and scarred with innumerable puncture-marks. Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined arm-chair with a long sigh of satisfaction.

    Three times a day for many months I had witnessed this performance, but custom had not reconciled my mind to it. On the contrary, from day to day I had become more irritable at the sight, and my conscience swelled nightly within me at the thought that I had lacked the courage to protest. Again and again I had registered a vow that I should deliver my soul upon the subject, but there was that in the cool, nonchalant air of my companion which made him the last man with whom one would care to take anything approaching to a liberty. His great powers, his masterly manner, and the experience which I had had of his many extraordinary qualities, all made me diffident and backward in crossing him.

    Yet upon that afternoon, whether it was the Beaune which I had taken with my lunch, or the additional exasperation produced by the extreme deliberation of his manner, I suddenly felt that I could hold out no longer.

    Which is it to-day? I asked, - morphine or cocaine?

    He raised his eyes languidly from the old black-letter volume which he had opened. It is cocaine, he said, - a seven-per-cent. solution. Would you care to try it?

    No, indeed, I answered, brusquely. My constitution has not got over the Afghan campaign yet. I cannot afford to throw any extra strain upon it.

    He smiled at my vehemence. Perhaps you are right, Watson, he said. I suppose that its influence is physically a bad one. I find it, however, so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind that its secondary action is a matter of small moment.

    But consider! I said, earnestly. Count the cost! Your brain may, as you say, be roused and excited, but it is a pathological and morbid process, which involves increased tissue-change and may at last leave a permanent weakness. You know, too, what a black reaction comes upon you. Surely the game is hardly worth the candle. Why should you, for a mere passing pleasure, risk the loss of those great powers with which you have been endowed? Remember that I speak not only as one comrade to another, but as a medical man to one for whose constitution he is to some extent answerable.

    He did not seem offended. On the contrary, he put his finger-tips together and leaned his elbows on the arms of his chair, like one who has a relish for conversation.

    My mind, he said, rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, - or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world.

    The only unofficial detective? I said, raising my eyebrows.

    The only unofficial consulting detective, he answered. I am the last and highest court of appeal in detection. When Gregson or Lestrade or Athelney Jones are out of their depths - which, by the way, is their normal state - the matter is laid before me. I examine the data, as an expert, and pronounce a specialist's opinion. I claim no credit in such cases. My name figures in no newspaper. The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for my peculiar powers, is my highest reward. But you have yourself had some experience of my methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case.

    Yes, indeed, said I, cordially. I was never so struck by anything in my life. I even embodied it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic title of 'A Study in Scarlet.'

    He shook his head sadly. I glanced over it, said he. Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid.

    But the romance was there, I remonstrated. I could not tamper with the facts.

    Some facts should be suppressed, or at least a just sense of proportion should be observed in treating them. The only point in the case which deserved mention was the curious analytical reasoning from effects to causes by which I succeeded in unraveling it.

    I was annoyed at this criticism of a work which had been specially designed to please him. I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special doings. More than once during the years that I had lived with him in Baker Street I had observed that a small vanity underlay my companion's quiet and didactic manner. I made no remark, however, but sat nursing my wounded leg. I had a Jezail bullet through it some time before, and, though it did not prevent me from walking, it ached wearily at every change of the weather.

    My practice has extended recently to the Continent, said Holmes, after a while, filling up his old brier-root pipe. I was consulted last week by Francois Le Villard, who, as you probably know, has come rather to the front lately in the French detective service. He has all the Celtic power of quick intuition, but he is deficient in the wide range of exact knowledge which is essential to the higher developments of his art. The case was concerned with a will, and possessed some features of interest. I was able to refer him to two parallel cases, the one at Riga in 1857, and the other at St. Louis in 1871, which have suggested to him the true solution. Here is the letter which I had this morning acknowledging my assistance. He tossed over, as he spoke, a crumpled sheet of foreign notepaper. I glanced my eyes down it, catching a profusion of notes of admiration, with stray magnifiques, coup-de-maitres, and tours-de-force, all testifying to the ardent admiration of the Frenchman.

    He speaks as a pupil to his master, said I.

    Oh, he rates my assistance too highly, said Sherlock Holmes, lightly. He has considerable gifts himself. He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective. He has the power of observation and that of deduction. He is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come in time. He is now translating my small works into French.

    Your works?

    Oh, didn't you know? he cried, laughing. Yes, I have been guilty of several monographs. They are all upon technical subjects. Here, for example, is one 'Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccoes.' In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-, cigarette-, and pipe-tobacco, with colored plates illustrating the difference in the ash. It is a point which is continually turning up in criminal trials, and which is sometimes of supreme importance as a clue. If you can say definitely, for example, that some murder has been done by a man who was smoking an Indian lunkah, it obviously narrows your field of search. To the trained eye there is as much difference between the black ash of a Trichinopoly and the white fluff of bird's-eye as there is between a cabbage and a potato.

    You have an extraordinary genius for minutiae, I remarked.

    I appreciate their importance. Here is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps, with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses. Here, too, is a curious little work upon the influence of a trade upon the form of the hand, with lithotypes of the hands of slaters, sailors, corkcutters, compositors, weavers, and diamond-polishers. That is a matter of great practical interest to the scientific detective, - especially in cases of unclaimed bodies, or in discovering the antecedents of criminals. But I weary you with my hobby.

    Not at all, I answered, earnestly. It is of the greatest interest to me, especially since I have had the opportunity of observing your practical application of it. But you spoke just now of observation and deduction. Surely the one to some extent implies the other.

    Why, hardly, he answered, leaning back luxuriously in his arm-chair, and sending up thick blue wreaths from his pipe. For example, observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street Post-Office this morning, but deduction lets me know that when there you dispatched a telegram.

    Right! said I. Right on both points! But I confess that I don't see how you arrived at it. It was a sudden impulse upon my part, and I have mentioned it to no one.

    It is simplicity itself, he remarked, chuckling at my surprise, - so absurdly simple that an explanation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define the limits of observation and of deduction. Observation tells me that you have a little reddish mould adhering to your instep. Just opposite the Seymour Street Office they have taken up the pavement and thrown up some earth which lies in such a way that it is difficult to avoid treading in it in entering. The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which is found, as far as I know, nowhere else in the neighborhood. So much is observation. The rest is deduction.

    How, then, did you deduce the telegram?

    Why, of course I knew that you had not written a letter, since I sat opposite to you all morning. I see also in your open desk there that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post-cards. What could you go into the post-office for, then, but to send a wire? Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.

    In this case it certainly is so, I replied, after a little thought. The thing, however, is, as you say, of the simplest. Would you think me impertinent if I were to put your theories to a more severe test?

    On the contrary, he answered, it would prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. I should be delighted to look into any problem which you might submit to me.

    I have heard you say that it is difficult for a man to have any object in daily use without leaving the impress of his individuality upon it in such a way that a trained observer might read it. Now, I have here a watch which has recently come into my possession. Would you have the kindness to let me have an opinion upon the character or habits of the late owner?

    I handed him over the watch with some slight feeling of amusement in my heart, for the test was, as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it as a lesson against the somewhat dogmatic tone which he occasionally assumed. He balanced the watch in his hand, gazed hard at the dial, opened the back, and examined the works, first with his naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens. I could hardly keep from smiling at his crestfallen face when he finally snapped the case to and handed it back.

    There are hardly any data, he remarked. The watch has been recently cleaned, which robs me of my most suggestive facts.

    You are right, I answered. It was cleaned before being sent to me. In my heart I accused my companion of putting forward a most lame and impotent excuse to cover his failure. What data could he expect from an uncleaned watch?

    Though unsatisfactory, my research has not been entirely barren, he observed, staring up at the ceiling with dreamy, lack-lustre eyes. Subject to your correction, I should judge that the watch belonged to your elder brother, who inherited it from your father.

    That you gather, no doubt, from the H. W. upon the back?

    "Quite so. The W. suggests your own name. The date of the watch is nearly fifty years back, and the initials are as old as the watch: so it was made for the last generation. Jewelry usually descends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to have the same name as the father. Your

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