"recognize the wool from the lamb"

[Joel S. Berson]

In the Jeremy Brett/Sherlock Holmes DVD of "The adventure of the
Three Gables", while contemplating the effect publication of Douglas
Maberley's manuscript "novel" would have had on the reputation and
plans of Isadora Klein, Holmes says "All of London would recognize
the wool from the lamb" -- meaning, I believe, that the content of
this autobiographical novel would allow the public to identify the
woman even though she was not actually named in it.

There is one lonely Google Everything result for the phrase, in an
odd transformation of the Conan Doyle story with a "Ms. Sherlene
Holmes" as the detective.

Where did this popular saying arise?  (I will while I'm waiting
re-read Conan Doyle to see if it's actually in his text.)

Joel

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