After reaching about 55% of the book I’ve reached the point where Holmes is up before the Magistrate in the Police Court charged with the murder of Sally Dixon.
Just before Holmes case the Magistrate had dealt with the case of two children charged with theft. He suggested they be placed in the care of one of three children’s organisations.
He named one organisation as the Society for the Improvement of London Children. Watson noted this was the same organisation that ran the Chorley Grange School for Boys. The place that Ross Dixon had run away from.
I notice that the initials for the charitable organisation are SILC!
Could this be what was really meant when Sally said “The Silk House”? Maybe she was referring to the school as “The SILC House”? Which would explain Mycroft’s dire warning to Sherlock to give up the investigation. It seems like this is a case of paedophilia in Government and high places that is possibly being investigated. Hence the apparent framing of Sherlock Holmes for murder to get him off the case. Has Holmes noticed the SILC connection as well?