Read the excerpt from “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.” There was a long silence, broken only by Sherlock Holmes tapping his fingertips on the table. Suddenly, my friend rose and threw open the door.

“Get out!” he said.

“What, sir? Oh, Heaven bless you!”

“No more words. Get out!”

No more words were needed. There was a rush, a clatter upon the stairs, the bang of a door, and the crisp rattle of running footfalls from the street.

“After all, Watson,” said Holmes, “Horner is not in danger. Ryder will not speak against him, and the stone will be returned, so the case will fall apart. Perhaps I am committing a crime, but perhaps I am saving a soul. This fellow will not go wrong again. He is too frightened. If we send him to jail now, we will make him a jail-bird for life.”

Question 1
Part A

What can readers conclude from the details in the text?

Holmes is a sympathetic person.

Holmes worries he will get in trouble for letting Ryder go.

Holmes cares about his reputation more than solving crimes.

Holmes feels Ryder is a coward.
Question 2
Part B

Which evidence from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

"'He is too frightened.'"

‘”Perhaps I am committing a crime, but perhaps I am saving a soul.’”

“’Ryder will not speak against him, and the stone will be returned, so the case will fall apart.’”

"'No more words. Get out!'”