While reading Sherlock Holmes, I found a sentence unexplained. “I should prefer having a partner to being alone.” A sentence from “A study in scarlet”. What’s the reason “to being alone” comes after such a sentence like that? I prefer having parter means I don’t want to be alone, right? But then to being alone turns it no sense to me. Would you help me explaining why? You can just throw an answer if in a hurry. Thanks in advance. “By Jove!" I cried, "if he really wants someone to share the rooms and the expense, I am the very man for him.” These are the before-sentences in case you don’t get it!