- Sherlock Holmes: If I'm to have a doctor, at least let me have someone in whom I have confidence.
- Doctor Watson: [Gravely] You have none in me.
- Sherlock Holmes: Your friendship, yes. But I mean you're only a general practitioner with mediocre qualifications.
- Doctor Watson: That remark is unworthy of you, Holmes. It shows me very clearly the state of your nerves.
- Sherlock Holmes: That demonstrates your ignorance!
- [shouts]
- Sherlock Holmes: What do you know about Tapanuli fever! What do you know of the black Formosa corruption!
- Sherlock Holmes: That's the front door. It's him. Hide!
- Doctor Watson: Hide?
- Sherlock Holmes: Quick! If you love me!
- Doctor Watson: Why, why wouldn't you let me near you when in truth there was no infection?
- Sherlock Holmes: Do you imagine that I have no respect for your medical talents? At six feet, I could deceive you. But any closer, with your astute judgement, no no no no no no. No, it was essential that you and Mrs. Hudson believed me to be at death's door; otherwise, Smith would have smelt a rat.
- Mrs Hudson: Rats! Beeswax! Mr. Holmes, you are the very worst tenant in London!
- [first lines]
- Benson: Mister Savage, sir. I didn't know, sir. Sir, I didn't know.
- Victor Savage: It's all right, Benson. Last minute decision.
- [last lines]
- Adelaide Savage: Georgie says he's going to guard the house.
- Doctor Watson: Well, they're fine children, Mrs Savage.
- Adelaide Savage: They're little angels.
- Marina Savage: We're usually known as little savages. Thank you, Doctor Watson, for letting us keep our home.
- [she kisses his cheek]
- Doctor Watson: Aah. Thank you, my dear; I'd like to take the credit, but it belongs to Mr Holmes.
- Marina Savage: We are very grateful to you, sir.
- Sherlock Holmes: My privilege, Miss Savage.
- Doctor Watson: There must be a way of stopping him, Holmes, surely.
- Sherlock Holmes: Well, I doubt it more and more.
- Doctor Watson: Suppose *you* were convinced of his guilt. What would you do, then?
- Sherlock Holmes: You know my methods; I would gain entry to the house.
- Doctor Watson: Then that's what I shall do. You don't have to come.
- Sherlock Holmes: Nevertheless, I shall. You've already had your head turned - I must make sure you don't get your *neck* broken as well.
- Sherlock Holmes: What you have to face, Watson, is that Savage's catching the disease in Rotherhithe is entirely plausible. The coincidence, that Smith's expertise in the matter is exactly that, a coincidence. You can't hang a man on coincidence.
- Police Sergeant: Ma'am, ma'am. We have reason to believe that, erm, as a matter of fact, you are trespassing.
- Adelaide Savage: Sergeant, I'm sure you're as aware as I am the laws of trespass in this country are most curious, not to say odd. I should know. I have responsibility for hundreds of acres which are about to be stolen from me through legal trickery, by a man, a man who preyed on my husband like some bloated parasite, corrupted him and drove him to his death. And now, now he will not speak to the woman he has widowed! Of course he won't. He knows he has no justice on his side; merely cold legality.
- Sherlock Holmes: There is only one man who can help me - the man we have maligned.
- Doctor Watson: Culverton Smith? Do you believe *he* would help?
- Sherlock Holmes: He must. It is my only chance.
- [in delirium]
- Sherlock Holmes: Oysters... They do breed, don't they? I cannot think that the whole bed of the ocean is one solid mass of oysters.
- Sherlock Holmes: Don't fail me, Watson.
- Doctor Watson: Of course not.
- Sherlock Holmes: [In delirium] And what of rivers? Are there no natural enemies to limit the increase of these creatures? It's horrible, horrible...