I described with the minutest accuracy things that had not the faintest significance.

I drew a vivid picture of the carriage inside and out; I painted a lifelike portrait of the horse, even going into particulars of the harness--which I was surprised to find that I had noticed.

I described the furniture of the dining-room and the cobwebs that had hung from the ceiling; the auction-ticket on the chest of drawers, the rickety table and the melancholy chairs.

I gave the number per minute of the patient's respirations and the exact quantity of coffee consumed on each occasion, with an exhaustive description of the cup from which it was taken; and I left no personal details unconsidered, from the patient's finger-nails to the roseate pimples on Mr.Weiss's nose.
But my tactics of studied prolixity were a complete failure.

The attempt to fatigue Thorndyke's brain with superabundant detail was like trying to surfeit a pelican with whitebait.