Загадочное происшествие в Стайлзе
Chapter X. The Arrest
Butno,itwasnottobe.Thisaffairmustallbeunravelledfromwithin.”Hetappedhisforehead.“Theselittlegreycells.Itis‘uptothem’—asyousayoverhere.”Then,suddenly,heasked:“Areyouajudgeoffinger-marks,myfriend?”
“No,”Isaid,rathersurprised,“Iknowthattherearenotwofinger-marksalike,butthat’sasfarasmysciencegoes.”
“Exactly.”
Heunlockedalittledrawer,andtookoutsomephotographswhichhelaidonthetable.
“Ihavenumberedthem,1,2,3.Willyoudescribethemtome?”
Istudiedtheproofsattentively.
“Allgreatlymagnified,Isee.No.1,Ishouldsay,areaman’sfinger-prints;thumbandfirstfinger.No.2arealady’s;theyaremuchsmaller,andquitedifferentineveryway.No.3”—Ipausedforsometime—“thereseemtobealotofconfusedfinger-marks,buthere,verydistinctly,areNo.1’s.”
“Overlappingtheothers?”
“Yes.”
“Yourecognizethembeyondfail?”
“Oh,yes;theyareidentical.”
Poirotnodded,andgentlytakingthephotographsfrommelockedthemupagain.
“Isuppose,”Isaid,“thatasusual,youarenotgoingtoexplain?”
“Onthecontrary.No.1werethefinger-printsofMonsieurLawrence.No.2werethoseofMademoiselleCynthia.Theyarenotimportant.Imerelyobtainedthemforcomparison.No.3isalittlemorecomplicated.”
“Yes?”
“Itis,asyousee,highlymagnified.Youmayhavenoticedasortofblurextendingallacrossthepicture.Iwillnotdescribetoyouthespecialapparatus,dustingpowder,etc.
