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Раздел Второй – Section Two
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Unit 1. The Adventure of the Dying Detective. A. Conan Doyle
Unit 2. The Adventure of Three Students. A. Conan Doyle
Unit 3. The Adventure of the Empty House. A. Conan Doyle
Unit 1
THE ADVENTURE OF THE DYING DETECTIVE by A. Conan Doyle
One day in the second year of my married life Mrs. Hudson, the landlady of Sherlock Holmes, came to my rooms and told me he was very ill.
"He is dying, Dr. Watson," she said. "He hasn't eaten and hasn't drunk anything for three days and he wouldn't allow me to get a doctor. This morning when I saw his thin and white face I could stand no more of it. 'Mr. Holmes,' I said, 'I'm going for a doctor, whether you like it or not.' 'Let it be Watson, then,' said he. So I have come to you."
I rushed for my coat and hat. On our way to Baker Street Mrs. Hudson told me that Holmes had been working on a case near Rotherhithe close by the river and had brought this disease back with him.
When I entered his room Holmes was lying in bed. He was looking very ill. When he saw me he cried:
"Stand back! Stand back!"
"But why?" I asked.
"Because it is my wish. Is that not enough?"
"I only wanted to help," I explained.
"Exactly! You will best help by doing what you are told."
"Certainly, Holmes."
“I know what is the matter with me. It is a coolie disease from Sumatra. It is deadly and very contagious”. Contagious by touch, Watson. So keep your distance and all is well."
“Good heavens”, Holmes! Do you imagine this would prevent me from doing my duty to so old a friend?"
Again I tried to come nearer. He got very angry.
"If you stand where you are I'll talk to you. If not, you must leave the room."
"Do you think I'll stand here and see you die without helping you?"
"You mean well, Watson, but you can do nothing. You don't know tropical diseases."
"Possibly not. But I know Dr. Ainstree, the greatest specialist in tropical diseases. I'm going to bring him here." I turned to the door.
Never have I had such a shock! The dying man jumped from his bed and locked the door. The next moment he was in bed again looking very tired.
"Now, Watson, it's four o'clock. At six you can go. Will you wait?"
"I seem to have no choice."
"None in the world, Watson. If you want to help me you must bring me the man that I choose. I'll explain everything to you at six o'clock."
I stood for some minutes looking at him. He fell asleep. Then I walked slowly round the room. I saw a small ivory box4 on the mantelpiece' and I was going to take it in my hand when Holmes gave a loud cry: "Put it down, Watson! Put it down at once, I say! I don't like when people touch my things."
This incident showed me how ill my friend was. I sat in silence looking at the clock. He seemed to be watching the clock too. Before six he began to talk in great excitement. I understood that he was raving.' He was shaking with fever. He asked me to light the gas and to put some letters and papers on the table near his bed.
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"Thank you. Take those sugar-tongs' now and kindly raise that small ivory box with them. Put it here among the papers. Be careful! Good! You can now go and bring Mr. Culvert on Smith, of 13 Lower Burke Street."
"I have never heard the name," I said.
"Possibly not. He is not a doctor but a planter from Sumatra, now visiting London. Some time ago people fell ill in his plantation and there were no doctors in the neighbourhood. So he began to study this disease himself. I am sure he can help me. He is a very methodical person and I did not want you to start before six because I knew you would not find him in his study. He does not like me but if you tell him how ill I am he will certainly come. But don't come with him. You must return here before he comes. Don't forget."
To tell the truth I did not want to leave Holmes, be- because his appearance had changed for the worse during the few hours I had been with him. But he begged' me to go.
"He can save me – only he."
Mr. Smith did not want to see me at all. The servant told me he was very busy. However, I thought of Holmes lying ill in bed and I pushed the door and came into the room. When Mr. Smith heard I had come from Holmes, he was no longer angry with me. He was an unpleasant looking little man with a yellow face and cruel grey eyes.
"What about Holmes? How is he?" he asked.
"He is very ill. That is why I have come."
"I am sorry to hear it. I have great respect for his talents and character. He is an amateur' of crime as I am of disease. For him the criminal, for me – the microbe. These are my prisons," he continued pointing to the bottles which stood on a table.
"Mr. Holmes has a high opinion" of you and thought that you were the only man in London who could help him."
The little man started:
"Why?" he asked. "Why does he think I can help him?"
"Because you know Eastern diseases."
"But why does he think that the disease which he has contracted is Eastern?"
"Because he has been working at a case among Chinese sailors."
Mr. Smith smiled pleasantly.
"Oh, that's it." How long has he been ill?"
"About three days."
"Is he raving?"
"Sometimes."
"That sounds serious. I will come with you at once, Dr. Watson."
I told him I could not come with him because I had another appointment.
"Very good. I'll go alone. I've got Mr. Holmes's address."
It was with a sad heart that I entered Holmes's bedroom again. I was afraid he might be worse. But he felt much better.
"Well, did you see him, Watson?" he asked.
"Yes, he is coming."
"Excellent, Watson! Excellent! Did he ask what was the matter with me?"
"It old him about the Chinese in the East End."
"Exactly! Well, Watson, you have done all that a good friend could do. You can now disappear from the scene."
"I must wait and hear his opinion, Holmes."
"Of course you must. But I suppose his opinion will be much franker" if he imagines that we are alone. So you'd better hide behind my bed."
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"My dear Holmes!"
"I'm afraid there is no alternative, Watson. There isno other place in the room where you can hide."
Suddenly he sat up listening.
"Quick, Watson! There are the wheels. Don't speak and don't move whatever happens. Just listen with all your ears."
I hid behind the bed. I heard the opening and the closing of the bedroom door and then to my surprise there followed a long silence. I could imagine that our visitor was standing and looking at Holmes. At last he cried:
"Holmes, Holmes, can you hear me?"
"Is that you, Smith?" Holmes whispered. "I had little hope that you would come."
The other laughed.
"And yet, you see, I am here."
"It is very good of you. I have a high opinion of your special knowledge."
Our visitor laughed again.
"Do you know what is the matter with you?"
"The same," said Holmes.
"Well, I am not surprised that it is the same. Poor Victor was dead on the fourth day – a strong young fellow. It was certainly, as you said, very surprising that he contracted an Asiatic disease in London – a disease of which I have made a special study. Strange coincidence, Holmes."
"I knew that you did it."
"Oh, you did, did you? Well, you couldn't prove it, anyhow. But what do you mean by saying that I did it and then asking me for help the moment you are in trouble?"
I heard the heavy breathing of Holmes.
"Give me some water," he whispered.
"You are near your end, my friend, but I don't want you to die before I have a word with you. So I'll give you water."
"Do what you can for me," begged Holmes, "and I'll forget it."
"Forget what?"
"Well, about Victor Savage's death. You almost said just now that you had done it. I'll forget it."
"You can forget it or remember, as you like. It doesn't matter now." You will die very soon. The fellow who came for me said you had contracted this disease among the Chinese sailors."
"I think so. I am so ill. Please, help me!"
"Yes, I will help you. I would like you to know something before you die. Listen now. Can you remember any unusual incident just about the time" when you fell ill?"
"No, nothing."
"Well, then, I'll help you. Did anything come by post?"
"By post?"
"A box, perhaps."
"Oh, I'm fainting."
"Listen, Holmes!"
I heard that Smith was shaking the dying man but I couldn't leave my hiding-place.
"You must hear me," the man shouted. "So you remember an ivory box? It came on Wednesday. You opened it – do you remember?"
"Yes, yes. I opened it. There was a spring inside it. Some joke."
"It was no joke. Who asked you to cross my path? If you had left me alone I wouldn't have hurt you."
"I remember," said Holmes. "This box, this box on the table."
"Yes, it is this box. And it may as well leave the room in my pocket. You know the truth now, and you can die with the knowledge that I killed you. You know too much about the death of Victor Savage so I had to kill you too. You are very near your end, Holmes. I'll sit here and watch you die."
"Holmes's voice was very weak now. He asked Smith to turn up the gas. Our visitor crossed the room and soon it was quite light.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, my friend?" he asked.
"Give me a match and a cigarette."
I nearly cried out in my surprise. Holmes was speaking in his usual voice, the voice I knew. There was a long silence and I felt that Smith was looking with surprise at his companion.
"What is the meaning of this?" I heard him say at last.
"I am a good actor. The best way of acting a part successfully is to live it. I give you my word that for three days I haven't eaten and drunk anything because I wanted to feel and look ill. It was cigarettes that I missed most. Ah, here are some cigarettes»
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He struck a match.
"That's much better. Halloa! halloa! Do you hear the steps of a friend?"
The door opened and Inspector Morton appeared.
"This is your man," said Holmes.
"I arrest you on the charge of murdering" Victor Savage," said the Inspector.
"And you might add of the attempted murder" of Sherlock Holmes," said Holmes smiling. "To save me the trouble, Inspector, Mr. Culvert on Smith was good enough to give our signal by turning up the gas. By the way," the prisoner has a small box in his pocket. It would be well to take it from him. Thank you. But be very careful. Put it down here. It may be of use" in the trial."
Smith tried to struggle with the Inspector. A minute later, however, I heard the sound of the closing handcuffs.
"A nice trap!" cried Smith. "He asked me to come to help him. I was sorry for him and I came. Now he will
Lie as you like, Holmes, my word is as good as yours."
"Good heavens!" cried Holmes. "I have forgotten about him. My dear Watson, I am so sorry. I needn't introduce you to Mr. Culverton Smith because you met earlier in the evening. Have you a cab, Inspector? I'll follow you when I am dressed because I may be of some use at the Police Station."
When the inspectar and the prisoner had left his room Holmes asked me if I was angry with him.
"You see," he said. "I had to make Mrs. Hudson and you believe that I was really ill. If you had known the truth you wouldn't have been able to make Smith come to me. You are not good at pretending."
"But Holmes, you really looked ill."
"Well, you can't look well if you haven't eaten for three days."
"But why didn't you allow me to come near you?"
"Can you ask, Watson? Do you imagine I have no respect for your medical talents? If you had come nearer, you would have known I was not dying at all. But don't touch the box, Watson. It was a box like this that brought death to Victor Savage. I am always very careful with all my correspondence. It was, however, clear to me that only by pretending" that Smith had really succeeded with his plan I could make him tell me the truth. And I have succeeded. Thank you, Watson. You must help me with my coat. When we have finished at the police station, we shall go to a restaurant and have our dinner."
NOTES:
1. contagions – заразная;
2. keep your distance – держитесь подальше;
3. Good heavens! – Боже мой!
4. ivory box – шкатулка из слоновой кости;
5. mantelpiece – камин;
6. he was raving – он бредил;
7. sugar-tongs – сахарные щипцы;
8. begged – умолял;
9. an amateur – любитель;
10. has a high opinion of you – высокого мнения о Вас;
11. Oh, that's it. – Так вот в чем дело;
12. much franker – гораздо откровеннее;
13. strange coincidence – странное совпадение значения;
14. just about the time – примерно в то же время;
15. that I missed most – чего мне больше всего не хватает;
16. on the charge of murdering – по обвинению в убийстве;
17. the attempted murder – попытка убийства;
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18. by the way – кстати говоря;
19. may be of use – может пригодиться;
20. only by pretending – только притворившись.
Ответьте на следующие вопросы:
1. Why did Mrs. Hudson come to Watson's place one day?
2. Why was Watson shocked when he saw Holmes? What did Holmes tell him?
3. Whom did Holmes ask Watson to call?
4. Why did Holmes think that he had an Eastern disease?
5. What did Holmes and Smith speak about?
6. Why did Inspector Morton suddenly come and what did Holmes tell him about Smith?
7. How did Holmes explain his behaviour to Watson?
Unit 2
THE ADVENTURE OF THREE STUDENTS by A. Conan Doyle
Some time ago Mr. Sherlock Holmes and I spent a few weeks in one of our great university towns. We lived near a library where Sherlock Holmes was carrying out some historical research. Here it was that Mr. Hilton Soames, lecturer at St. Luke's College, came to see us one evening. He was a tall man of nervous temperament.
"I hope, Mr. Holmes," he said, "that you can spare me a few hours' of your valuable time. We have had a very unpleasant incident at our college."
"I am very busy just now," my friend answered, "but you can go to the police and ask them for help."
"No, no my dear sir, you are the only man in the world who can help me. I beg you, Mr. Holmes, do what you can."
And our visitor told us his story.
"I must explain to you, Mr. Holmes, that tomorrow is the first day of the examination for the Fortescue Scholarship. I am one of the examiners. My subjects is Greek. The candidates have to translate into English a passage from Greek which they have not seen before. The passage is printed on the examination paper. Today about three o'clock this paper arrived from the printers. I began to read it. At four o'clock, however, I left the paper on my desk and went out to have tea with my friends. I came back an hour later and I was surprised to see a key in the door. For a moment I thought it was my key but I put my hand into my pocket and I felt that it was there. The only duplicate' belonged to my servant, Bannister, and he told me he had come into my room to ask if I wanted tea and very carelessly lef t his key in the door.
"The moment I looked at the table I realised that someone had been in the room. I had left the papers all together. Now I found that one of the sheets was lying on the floor, one was on the small table near the window, the third was where I had left it."
Holmes stirred for the first time.
"The first page was on the floor, the second in the window, the third where you had left it," he said.
"Exactly, Mr. Holmes. How could you possibly know that?"
"Continue your story, please."
"I asked Bannister if he had examined the papers. He said he had not, and I was sure he was speaking the truth. The alternative was that someone passing had observed the key in the door and, knowing that I was out, had entered to look at the papers.
"Bannister was very much upset4 by the incident. I gave him a little brandy and left him sitting on a chair. Then I examined the room carefully. On the table there were some cuttings of a pencil which had been sharpened.' In my new writing table there was a cut three inches long. I also found a small ball of black clay' on the table. There were no other marks left. Do help me, Mr. Holmes! I must find the man or the examination will have to be postponed' until new papers are prepared, and then a great scandal will follow."
"I shall be happy to look into this incident and help you as much as I can," said Holmes putting on his coat. "The case is very interesting. Did anyone visit you after the papers had come to you?"
"Yes, young Daulat Ras, an Indian student who lives on the same stair."
"And the papers were on the table?"
"Yes, but they were rolled up."'
"Was anyone else in your room?"
"Did anyone know that these papers would be there?"
"No one except the printer."
"Did this man Bannister know?"
"No, certainly not. No one knew."
"Where is Bannister now?"
"He was very ill, poor fellow. I left him in the room. He was sitting on a chair. I was in such a hurry to come to you."
"You left your door open?"
"But I locked up the papers first."
"Then it seems that the man who came to your room when you were having tea did not know that the papers were there. He came upon them accidently."'
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"So it seems to me."
Holmes smiled.
"Well," said he, "let us go round. Come with us, Watson, if you want to. Now, Mr. Soames, we are ready."
It was dark when we came to Mr. Soames's house.The sitting-room of our client opened by a long, low window on to the old court of the college. On the ground-floor was the tutor's room. Above lived three students, one on each floor. Holmes stopped and looked at the window. Then he came nearer and looked into the room. Mr. Soames opened the door and we entered his room. We stood at the door while Holmes examined the floor.
"I'm afraid there are no marks here," he said, "one could not hope for any upon so dry a day. Your servant seems to be well again. You left him in a chair, you say. Which chair?"
"By the window there."
"I see. Near this little table. You can come in now. I have finished with the floor. Let us examine the little table first. Of course what happened is very clear. The man entered and took the papers from the central table. He carried them over to the little table by the window because from there he could see if you were coming back and so he could run away."
“As a matter of fact, he could not”, said Soames, “Because I entered by the side door”.
"Ah, that's good. Well, anyhow, he thought he would see you. Let me see the papers. No signs" – no. Well, he carried over this paper first and he copied it. How long did it take him to copy it? A quarter of an hour. Then he took the next page. While he was copying it, he heard your steps and he had no time to put it back on the table. He wrote so quickly that he broke his pencil and had to sharpen it. The pencil was not an ordinary one. It was very long and dark blue and the maker's name was printed in silver letters. Look for such a pencil, Mr. Soames, and you have got your man. He also had a large knife."
Holmes held out a small piece of wood with the letters NN.
"You see?"
Mr. Soames did not understand.
"No, I'm afraid that even now –"
"What could this NN be?" Holmes continued. "It is at the end of a word. You know that Johann Faber is the most common maker's name. Is it not clear that there is just as much of the pencil left as usually follows the Johann?" He examined the small table carefully. "No, I see nothing. I don't think there is anything more to be learned here. Now for the central table. Dear me, this is very interesting. And the cut... I see. It began with a thin scratch and ended in a big hole. Well, where does that door lead to, Mr. Soames?"
"To my bedroom."
"Have you been in it since your adventure?"
"No, I came straight away for you."
"I would like to have a look at it. What a nice room!
Perhaps you will kindly wait a minute, until I have examined the floor. No, I see nothing."
Suddenly Holmes turned away and took something from the floor.
"Halloa! What's this?" said he. It was a small ball of black clay like the one he had found upon the table.
"It seems that your visitor has been in your bedroom as well as in your sitting-room, Mr. Soames."
"What did he want there?"
"I think it is clear enough. You came back by an unexpected way and so he did not know you had entered the house until you were at the door. What could he do? He rushed into your bedroom to hide himself."
“Do you mean to tell me that all the time I was talking to Bannister this man was in my bedroom?”
“So I read it”.
“Surely there is another alternative, Mr. Holmes. I do not know if you saw my bedroom window? The man might have come through the window”.
Holmes shook his head.
"Let's be practical," said he. "You have said that there are three students who use this stair, and pass your door?"
"Yes, there are."
"And are they all for this examination?"
"Yes."
"Do you suspect" anyone of them more than the others?"
"It is a very delicate question," said Mr. Soames, "I will tell you, in a few words, the character of each of these three men. Gilchrist who lives on the first floor is a fine hardworking student. He plays in the rugby cricket teams for the college. He is also a very good jumper. His father ruined himself" and left the boy very poor. But Gilchrist is a good student and he will do well”
"Daublat Ras, from the second floor, is a quiet, methodical fellow though he is not good at Greek."
“The top floor belongs to Miles McLaren. He is a very intelligent boy but he does not like to work. He must look forward with fear to the examination”.
“Then it is he whom you suspect?”
“I don't know, but of the three he is perhaps the most likely”.
“Exactly. Now, Mr. Soames, let us have a look at your servant, Bannister”.
He was a white-faced clean shaven little fellow of fifty.
"I understand," said Holmes to him, "that you left
your key in the door?"
"Yes, sir."
"When did you come into the room?"
"It was about half-past four. That is Mr. Soames' tea time."
"How long did you stay?"
"When I saw that he was absent I went out at once."
"Did you look at these papers on the table?"
"No, sir – certainly not."
"Why did you leave the key in the door?"
"I had the tea-tray" in my hand. I thought I would come back for the key. Then I forgot."
"When Mr. Soames returned and called for you, you were very upset."
"Yes, sir. Such a thing has never happened during the many years that I have been here."
"So I understand. Where were you when you began to feel ill?"
"Where was I, sir? Here, near the door."
"That is strange, because you sat down in that chair near the corner. Why didn't you sit on one of the other chairs which were much nearer the door?"
"I don't know, sir. It didn't matter" to me where I sat."
"You stayed here after your master had left?"
"Only for a minute or so. Then I locked the door and went to my room."
"Thank you, that will do," said Holmes. "Now, Mr. Soames I would like to visit the students. It is possible?"
"Of course it is. Their rooms are the oldest in the college and many visitors come to see them. Come along. I will go with you."
We knocked at Gilchrist's door. A tall fellow opened it. There were some interesting pieces of architecture in his room. Holmes wanted to draw them in his notebook, but he broke his pen and had to borrow" one from Gilchrist. He also borrowed a knife from him to sharpen his pencil. He did the same in the rooms of the Indian student. Then we knocked at the door of the third student but he did not want to open it.
"Tomorrow is the exam," he shouted in an angry voice, "and I have no time for visitors."
"A rude fellow," said our guide.
Holmes asked a strange question.
"Can you tell me how tall this boy is?"
"Really, Mr. Holmes, I don't know exactly. He is taller than the Indian and not so tall as Gilchrist."
"That's very important," said Holmes. "And now, I wish you good night, Mr. Soames."
Our guide cried in despair:" "Mr. Holmes, you are not going to leave me now! Tomorrow is the examination. I must do something about it. The examinations cannot be held'4 if someone has seen the papers."
"You must leave it as it is. I'll tell you tomorrow what to do. But now don't change anything at all."
"Very good, Mr. Holmes."
"I'll take the black clay with me, also the pencil cuttings. Good-bye."
When we were in the street, Holmes asked:
"Well, Watson, what do you think of it?"
"I suspect the man on the top who did not want to let us in."
“Why? If you were preparing for an examination, you wouldn't like to see any strangers in your room, would you? But that fellow does puzzle me”.
"Who?"
"Bannister, the servant."
"I think he is an honest man."
"So do I. That's the puzzle. Well, look, here's a large stationer's shop. We shall begin our researches here."
There were four stationers in the town and at each Holmes showed his pencil cuttings and asked for the same sort of pencil. All of them said it was a very unusual pencil and they had not any like it in their shops. However, Holmes did not seem to be sorry at all, and we went home very pleased.
At eight in the morning next day he came into my room and said:
“Well, Watson, it's time we went to St. Luke's”.
"Have you anything to tell Mr. Soames?"
"Yes, my dear Watson, I have solved the mystery.
He held out his hand and showed me three small balls of dark clay.
"Why, Holmes, you had only two yesterday."
"And one more this morning. Well, come along. Soames is waiting for us."
The tutor was certainly very upset when we found him in his rooms. He ran towards us and cried:
"Thank heaven you have come: What am I to do? What about the examination?"
"The examination can be held – tomorrow."
"But this rascal?"
“He will not sit for the examination”.
"Do you know him?"
"I think so. I will show him to you. Ring the bell, please."
Bannister came in.
"Will you kindly close the door?" said Holmes. "Now, Bannister, will you please tell us the truth about yesterday's incident?"
The man became very pale.
"I have told you everything, sir."
“Nothing to add?”
"Nothing at all, sir."
"Well, then I will help you. When you sat down on that chair yesterday, you did it to hide something."
Bannister's face was white.
"No, sir, certainly not."
"It is only a suggestion but it seems probable that when Mr. Soames' back was turned you let out" the man who was hiding in the bedroom."
"There was no man, sir."
"That's a pity, Bannister. Up to now" you have spoken the truth but now you have lied."
"There was no man," repeated Bannister.
"Come, come, Bannister."
"No, sir, there was no one."
"So you can give us no more information. Would you please stand over there near the bedroom door? Now, Mr. Soames, will you go up to the room of young Gilchrist and ask him to come here?"
A minute later the tutor returned bringing in the student. He was a fine tall man with a pleasant open face. His blue eyes looked at each of us and at last rested with an expression of despair upon Bannister.
"Just close the door," said Holmes. "Now, Mr. Gilchrist we are alone, and no one will know what you will say here. We want to know why you, an honest man, came here yesterday to copy examination papers."
The young man looked at Bannister.
"No, no, Mr. Gilchrist, I have never said a word – not one word!" cried the servant.
"No, but you have now," Holmes said.
Gilchrist burst into tears."
"Come, come. Perhaps it weuld be easier if I told Mr. Soames what happened. Listen and see if I am not wrong.
"Mr. Soames said to me that no one, not even Bannister, knew that the papers were in his room. When the Indian boy called on Mr. Soames, they were in the roll and he could not possibly know what they were. On the other hand" I was sure that the man who came into the room knew the papers were there. How did he know?
"At first I examined the window. I was measuring" how tall a man would need to be to see what papers were on the central table. I am six f eet high and I could do it with great difficulty. So you see, I had reason to think that the tallest of your three students was the most suspicious one.
"While I was looking at the central table I remembered you said that Gilchrist was a long distance jumper. Everything became clear to me. I only needed some proofs" which I soon got. What happened was this:This young fellow spent all the afternoon in the playing field practising the jump. He returned carrying his jumping shoes which, as you know, have several sharp spikes." As he passed your window he saw these papers on the table. He could easily do so because he is very tall. He also noticed that the key was left in the door. He came in and put his shoes on the table. What was it you put on that chair near the window?"
"Gloves," said the young man.
Holmes looked triumphantly at Bannister.
"He put his gloves on the chair and took the papers to copy them. He thought Mr. Soames would return by the main gate and he would see him. But Mr. Soames came back by the side gate. He suddenly heard him at the door. It was too late to run away. He forgot his gloves but he took his shoes and rushed into the bedroom. The clay from the spike was left on the table and another ball of clay fell in the bedroom. I went to the playing field this morning and carried away some clay to see if it was the same as we had found here. Have I told the truth, Mr. Gilchrist?"
"Yes, sir, it is true," answered the student.
"Have you nothing to add?" cried Mr. Soames.
"Yes, sir, I have. I have a letter here, Mr. Soames, which I wrote to you early this morning. Here it is, sir. I have decided not to go in for the examination. I have been offered a post in the Rhodesian Police and I am going away to South Africa at once."
"I am glad to hear it," said Soames, "but why have you changed your mind?"
Gilchrist pointed to Bannister.
“There is the man who set me in the right path”, said he.
"Come now, Bannister," said Holmes. "I have said that it was only you who could have let this young man out" because you were left in the room. Can you tell us why you did it?"
"It is very simple, sir. I was a servant of sir Jaber Gilchrist, this young gentleman's father. When he was ruined I came to the college as a servant but I never f orgot my old employer." When I came into this room yesterday, the first thing I saw was Mr. Gilchrist's brown gloves lying in that chair. I knew those gloves well and I understood his danger. So I sat down on that chair and waited until Mr. Soames went for you.Then I let Mr. Gilchrist out and I spoke to him as his dead father would have done. Wasn't it natural that I wanted to save him? Could you blame" me, sir?"
"No, indeed," said Holmes. "Well, Soames, I think we have cleared your little problem up. Come, Watson, let's have our breakfast now. As to you Mr. Gilchrist, I hope that a bright future awaits you in Rhodesia. For once you have fallen low. Let's see how high you can rise."
NOTES:
1. historical research – историческое исследование;
2. spare me a few hours – уделить мне несколько часов;
3. duplicate – дубликат (ключа);
4. was very much upset – был очень огорчен, сильно расстроился;
5. some cuttings of a pencil which had been sharpened – обрезок от карандаша, который затачивали;
6. a ball of black clay – шарик темной глины;
7. the examination will have to be postponed – экзамен придется перенести;
8. were rolled up – были свернуты;
9. came upon them accidently – наткнулся на них случайно;
10. as a matter of fact – по правде говоря;
11. by the side door – через боковую дверь;
12. no signs – никаких следов;
13. the maker's name – имя изготовителя;
14. by an unexpected way – неожиданным образом;
15. might have come – мог войти;
16. suspect – подозревать;
17. ruined himself – разорился;
18. he will do well – он добьется успеха;
19. the most likely – наиболее вероятный;
20. the tea-tray – чайный поднос;
21. it did not matter – было все равно;
22. to borrow – одолжить;
23. in despair – в отчаянии;
24. cannot be held – не могут проводиться;
25. that fellow does puzzle me – этот парень удивляет меня;
26. have solved the mystery – разрешил загадку;
27. will not sit for the examination – не будет сдавать экзамен;
28. Nothing to add? – Вам нечего добавить?
29. let out – выпустили;
30. up to now – до сих пор;
31. burst into tears – расплакаться, удариться в слезы;
32. on the other hand – с другой стороны;
33. was measuring – измерил;
34. the most suspicious – самый подозрительный;
35. proof – доказательство;
36. several sharp spikes – несколько острых шипов;
37. who set me in the right path – который наставил меня на путь истинный;
38. it was only you who could have let this young man – только Вы могли выпустить молодого человека;
39. my old employer – мой старый хозяин;
40. to blame – обвинять;
Ответьте на следующие вопросы:
1) Who was Mr. Soames and why did he come to Sherlock Holmes one day?
2) What did Holmes find examining Mr. Soames's room?
3) What did Mr. Soames tell Holmes about the three students?
4) What were Holmes's steps in solving the mystery?
5) Why did he suspect Gilchrist?
6) What was the role of Bannister in the incident?
Unit 3
THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE by A. Conan Doyle
It was in the spring of the year 1894 that all London was excited by the news of the murder of Ronald Adair under the most unusual circumstances.
Ronald Adair was the second son of the Earl of Maynooth, at that time a governor of one of the Australian colonies. Adair's mother had returned from Australia to undergo an operation for cataract and she, her son Ronald and her daughter Hilda were living together at 427 Park Lane. He had been engaged' to Miss Edith Woodley but their engagement had been broken off some months before and neither of them seemed to be sorry about it. He was a quiet man whose life moved in a narrow circle. Yet it was this aristocrat who was unexpectedly murdered between ten and eleven twenty on the night of March 1894.
Ronald Adair was fond of cards. He belonged to several card clubs. On the day of his death he had played whist at one of these card clubs. The men who played with him said that he had lost about five pounds but no more. He was a rich man and the loss was not important to him at all. He played nearly every day and he generally won.
On the evening of the crime he returned from the club at ten. His mother and sister were out spending the evening with a friend of theirs. The servant heard him come into the front room on the second floor. Lady Maynooth and her daughter returned at eleven twenty. They wanted to say good-night to Ronald. They knocked at the door, but no answer came. The door was locked on the inside. They called for help, and when the door was forced they found the young man lying near the table with a revolver bullet' in his head. However, no revolver could be seen in the room. On the table there were two banknotes for two pounds each and seventeen pounds ten in silver and gold. There were also some figures written upon a sheet of paper with the names of some club friends opposite to them, from which it was supposed that he was trying to make out his losses and winnings at cards.
Why did the young man lock the door on the inside? It was possible that the murderer had done this and had escaped by the window. But there were no foot-marks on the grass under the window.
I was thinking about these facts and I asked myself what my poor friend Sherlock Holmes would have done under those circumstances but I could not find the right answer. In the evening I went to see the house at Park Lane where Ronald had been murdered. There were some people standing in the street and staring up at the window of his room. A tall thin man with coloured glasses who looked like a detective was speaking to them. I got as near him as I could but his observations seemed to me to be absurd. So I turned back. As I did so I struck against an old man who was standing behind me and I knocked down several books he was carrying. I picked them up and said I was very sorry but he was angry and did not listen to me. He took his books and disappeared among the crowd. It was clear that these books were very dear to him. "The fellow must be some poor book collector," I thought.
My observations of No. 427 Park Lane did not help me much to solve the problem. More puzzled than ever I went home. I had not been in my study five minutes when a man came to see me. It was the old book collector I had knocked down in the street.
"You are surprised to see me, sir," he said in a strange voice. "I was a bit rude. So I thought to myself I'd better come and thank that kind gentleman for picking up my books."
"That's all right. But may I ask you how you knew who I was?"
"Well, sir, we live in the same street; you will find my little bookshop at the corner of Church Street and I'll be very happy to see you, I'm sure. Maybe you collect books yourself."
"I looked at the bookshelves behind me. When I turned again, Sherlock Holmes was standing by my table smiling at me. I stared at him with the greatest surprise and for the first time in my life I fainted." When I opened my eyes again, I saw Holmes holding a bottle of brandy in his hand.
"My dear Watson," said the well-remembered voice, "I am so sorry. I did not suppose I might frighten you so much."
“Holmes”, I cried, “is it really you? Can it indeed be that you are alive? Is it possible that you succeeded in climbing out of that abyss?”
“Wait a moment”, he said. “Are you sure that you are really able to discuss things? I have given you a serious shock”.
"I am all right, Holmes, but I can hardly believe my eyes. Sit down and tell me everything."
He sat opposite to me and lit a cigarette. He looked thin and his face showed that his life recently had not been a healthy one.
"Well then, about this abyss. I had no difficulty in getting out of it because I never was in it."
"You never were in it?"
"No, Watson, I never was in it. What I wrote to you in my letter was quite true. I was almost certain that I had come to the end of my career." After I had left the note with my cigarette-case, I walked along the path and Moriarty followed me. When we reached the end, he rushed at me. He was very strong but I knew baritsu, the Japanese system of fighting, and I won. I saw him fall into the water."
I listened with surprise to this explanation.
"But I saw with my own eyes that two lines of footmarks went down the path and none returned.
"It happened in this way. I knew that Moriarty was not the only man who wanted to murder me. There were at least three others. One or the other would certainly get me. On the other hand if all the world thought I was dead they would feel safe and I could easily catch them. I decided not to come back the way we went before but to climb the rocks. When I was going up the mountain a stone fell to the ground. I knew it was thrown by one of Moriarty’s companions. However, I went on. It was getting dark and the man could not see me. A week later I arrived in Florence and no one except my brother Mycroft knew where I was. I travelled for two years in Tibet and in Persia. Then I went to France. I learned that only one of Moriarty's companions was now in London. I was about to return" when the news of Roriald's death reached me and I decided to come at once.
"Now, dear Watson, we have if I may ask you for you help, a dangerous night's work in front of us. You will come with me tonight?"
"When you like and where you like."
"This is, indeed, like the old days."
At half past nine that evening I was sitting beside Holmes in a cab, my revolver in my pocket and the thrill of adventure in my heart. Holmes was cold and silent. I did not know where we were going but I was sure that the adventure was a most serious one. We stopped the cab at the corner of Cavendish Square and walked through many streets until we came to a small house. Holmes opened with a key the back door of this house. We entered together and he closed the door. The house was empty. We turned to the right and found ourselves in a large room. There was no lamp near but it was lit in the centre from the lights of the street.
"Do you know where we are?" Holmes asked.
"Surely that is Baker Street," I answered looking through the window.
"Exactly. We are in the house which stands opposite to our old house."
"But why are we here?"
"Because I would like to look at our old rooms. Will you come a little nearer to the window and see if anything has changed during the three years of my absence?"
I looked across at our old window and gave a cry of surprise. There was a man sitting on a chair there. A strong light was burning in the room. The face was turned half-round and it was a perfect reproduction" of Holmes.
"Good heavens!" I cried. "It is wonderful."
Holmes smiled.
"It really is rather like me, isn't?"
"Everyone would think it was you."
"It is figure of wax" and it has been made by a French artist who spent some days working at it. The rest I arranged myself during my visit to Baker Street this afternoon."
"But why?"
"Because I wanted certain people to think that I was there."
"And you thought the rooms were watched?"
"I knew they were watched."
"By whom?"
"By Professor Moriarty's friends. You must remember that they knew, and only they knew I was alive. They believed I should come back to my rooms."
My friend's plans were clear to me at last. We stood silently in darkness and watched the hurrying figures who passed in front of us. I especially noticed two men who stood at the door of the house. I showed them to Holmes but he only gave a cry of impatience and continued to watch the street. I looked at the lighted window again and to my great surprise I saw that the wax figure had moved and it was no more the face but the back that was turned towards us.
"It has moved!" I cried.
"Of course, it has moved," said Holmes. “Mrs. Hudson has made some change in that figure eight times during the last two hours. She works it from the front so that her shadow may never be seen”
Suddenly I heard a sound coming from the back of the house in which we were hidden. A door opened and shut. A minute later a man came into the room. He was three yards from us and I realised that he had no idea of our presence. He went to the window. He carried something like a stick but soon I saw it was a sort of gun. He opened the window and the light of the street fell full upon his face. The man seemed to be very excited. His two eyes shone like stars. He took something from the pocket of his coat and put it into the gun. For some time he stood listening. Then he put his finger on the trigger" and fired. There was a sound of broken glass. At that moment Holmes jumped like a tiger on to the man's back and knocked him down. The man was up again in a moment but then I struck him with my revolver. He fell to the floor and I fell on him. As I held him my friend blew on a whistle." Two policemen in uniform with one detective rushed through the front door and into the room.
"Is that you, Lestrade?" asked Holmes.
"Yes, Mr Holmes. It's good to see you back in London, sir."
“I think you want a little unofficial help. Three undetected murders in one year won't do”.
We had all stood up. The policemen held the prisoner. Holmes went to the window and closed it. Lestrade lit two candles. I was able at last to have a good look at our prisoner. He was a strong man with cruel blue eyes and an aggressive nose. He did not look at any of us but his eyes were fixed at Holmes's face.
“You fiend” he kept on saying. “You clever, clever fiend”.
"Ah, Colonel," said Holmes. "I don't think I have had the pleasure of seeing you since the time when you showed so much interest in me at the Reichenbach Falls."
The colonel still stared at my friend.
"You clever, clever fiend!" was all he could say.
"I haven't introduced you yet," said Holmes. "This gentleman is Colonel" Sebastian Moran, once an off icer of the Indian Army and the best shot in our Eastern Empire. I believe I am right, Colonel, in saying that your bag of tigers is still the greatest there."
The man said nothing but looked at my friend very angrily.
"I must say that you had one small surprise for me," continued Holmes. "I did not expect you would make use of this empty house. I thought you would shoot from the street where my friend Lestrade and his men were waiting for you. With that exception" all has gone as I expected."
Holmes picked up the gun from the floor and was examining its mechanism.
"An admirable gun,"'4 he said. "I knew the mechanic who constructed it to the order of Professor Moriarty. Take care of it, Lestrade."
"We will look after that," said Lestrade. "Anything else to say?"
"Only to ask you what Colonel Moran will be charged" with?"
"With the attempted murder of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, of course."
"Not so, Lestrade. I do not want to appear in the matter at all. You have got the man who shot Ronald Adair with the bullet from an air-gun through the open window of the second floor front of No 427 Park Lane on the thirtieth of last month. That's the charge. Yes, Lestrade. I congratulate you on your success. And now, Watson, let us go and have a smoke in my old study."
Mrs. Hudson was very pleased to see us again. She took us the room and showed us the strange wax figure.
"I'm afraid the bullet has spoilt the figure because it passed right through the head. I picked it up from the floor. Here it is."
Holmes held it out to me.
"Look, Watson. A soft revolver bullet. Who would expect to find such a thing fired from an air-gun! All right, Mrs. Hudson. Thank you f or your help. And now, Watson, sit down in your old armchair once more. There are many things I would like to discuss with you."
He took his clothes from the wax figure and put them on, and now he was the Holmes of old.
"Well," he said, "Moran was the best shot in India and there are few better in London. Have you heard his name?" "No, I haven't."
"Well, well, such is fame. But if I remember right, you had not heard the name of Professor Moriarty who was one of the most intelligent men of the century. Just give me my index of biographies from the shelf."
He turned over several pages and gave the book back to me. I read:
Moran, Sebastian, Colonel. Unemployed. Born in London 1840. Son of Mr. Augustus Moran, once British Minister to Persia. Educated in Eton and Oxford. Served in the army in the Eastern Empire. Author of several books on hunting. Address: Conduit Street. On the margin" was written in Holmes's hand: The second most dangerous man in London.
"This is surprising," I said. "The man's career is that of a good soldier."
"Yes," Holmes answered, "at first he did well. But he began to go wrong and had to leave India. He came to London and it was at this time that he met Professor Moriarty. Moriarty gave him a lot of money and used him in the most difficult jobs. You remember when I called on you in 1887 I closed the shutters because I was afraid of air-guns. I knew of the existence" of this air-gun and I knew also that it would be used by one of the best shots. When we were in Switzerland, Moran f ollowed us with Moriarty and he tried to kill me in the mountains. When I read in France in the newspapers about Ronald's death, I was certain that Colonel Moran had done it. He had played cards with him and had followed him home from the club. He shot him through the open window. I came over at once but a friend of his saw me and I was sure he would tell Moran about my return. That is why I decided to put the wax figure in my room and watch the street from the empty house. I also warned the police."
"Yes," I said, "but why did he murder Ronald?"
"I think that's not difficult to explain. They played cards and Adair saw that Moran cheated him" so he probably warned him that he would tell everyone about it unless he promised not to come to the club again. This would mean ruin" to Moran who lived by his card gains. Adair returned home and tried to find out how much money he had lost. He locked the door because he did not want anyone to see what he was doinq. It was then that Moran murdered him. Am I right do you think?"
"Certainly you are. Now Colonel Moran will trouble us no more. And his air-gun will be taken to the Scotland Yard Museum."
NOTES:
1. murder – убийство;
2. under the most unusual circumstances – при самых необычных обстоятельства;
3. a governor – губернатор;
4. to undergo the operation for cataract – перенести операцию катаракты;
5. had been engaged – был помолвлен;
6. on the inside – изнутри
7. a bullet – пуля;
8. to make out his losses – записать сумму проигрышей;
9. footmarks – следы;
10. faint – терять сознание;
11. succeeded in climbing out of that abyss – удалось выкарабкаться из этой бездны;
12. career – карьера;
13. to be about to return – собираться вернуться;
14. to be lit – быть освещенным;
15. a perfect reproduction – точная копия;
16. a figure of wax – восковая фигура;
17. shadow – тень;
18. trigger – курок;
19. blew on a whistle – засвистел;
20. Three undetected murders in one year won't do. – Три нераскрытых убийства за год – это никуда не годится;
21. fiend – дьявол;
22. colonel – полковник;
23. with that exception – за исключение этого;
24. an admirable gun – прекрасное ружье;
25. be charged with – быть обиженным в;
26. on the margin – на полях;
27. existence – существование;
28. warned – предупредил;
29. cheated him – обманывал его;
30. this would mean ruin – это было равносильно разорению.
Ответьте на следующие вопросы:
1) Who was Ronald Adair? What was he in the habit of? What happened to him? What was strange about the incident?
2) Whom did Watson strike against in the street when he was looking at the house at Park Lane? Who did that man turn out to be?
3) Why was Watson so shocked to see Holmes? What did Holmes tell him about?
4) Why did Holmes take Watson to an empty house? What did they see in the house opposite?
5) Who entered the house and what did he do?
6) What was Colonel Sebastian Moran's story? What was he charged with?
7) What was the reason for his having killed Ronald Adair?
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