The Absurdity of Holmes's Finances

In the original books, Holmes's financial situation makes absolutely no sense, which is a major point of amusement on literary forums. In some stories, he refuses to take a case unless he is paid an exorbitant, life-altering fortune by European royalty. In the very next story, he will happily spend three days tracking down a stolen goose for a penniless clerk completely free of charge, or he will spend half his savings buying a rare Stradivarius violin from a pawnbroker just to play it poorly in his room.