24                                 .Mary Wertheim.

weakness.

Yet, none of the detectives created after Sherlock Holmes and
Dr. Watson have ever come close to achieving the kind of distinc¬
tion earned by these illustrious predecessors. Watson's uncritical
adulation of Holmes's ratiocinative abilities is echoed by the
world's acceptance of hiuL In a sense, Sherlock is an embodiment
of the mythic hero whose mission is to bring order out of chaos.
Among fictional sleuths he and Dr. Watson, his alter ego, continue
to occupy their unique place in the hearts and minds of readers
everywhere.