Загадочное происшествие в Стайлзе
Chapter V. “It Isn’t Strychnine, Is It?”
“Istrolledtothewindow,andsawatoncethatthebegoniabedshadbeennewlyplanted.Themouldinthebedswasexactlysimilartothatontheflooroftheboudoir,andalsoIlearntfromyouthattheyhadbeenplantedyesterdayafternoon.Iwasnowsurethatone,orpossiblybothofthegardeners—forthereweretwosetsoffootprintsinthebed—hadenteredtheboudoir,forifMrs.Inglethorphadmerelywishedtospeaktothemshewouldinallprobabilityhavestoodatthewindow,andtheywouldnothavecomeintotheroomatall.Iwasnowquiteconvincedthatshehadmadeafreshwill,andhadcalledthetwogardenersintowitnesshersignature.EventsprovedthatIwasrightinmysupposition.”
“Thatwasveryingenious,”Icouldnothelpadmitting.“ImustconfessthattheconclusionsIdrewfromthosefewscribbledwordswerequiteerroneous.”
Hesmiled.
“Yougavetoomuchreintoyourimagination.Imaginationisagoodservant,andabadmaster.Thesimplestexplanationisalwaysthemostlikely.”
“Anotherpoint—howdidyouknowthatthekeyofthedespatch-casehadbeenlost?”
“Ididnotknowit.Itwasaguessthatturnedouttobecorrect.Youobservedthatithadapieceoftwistedwirethroughthehandle.Thatsuggestedtomeatoncethatithadpossiblybeenwrenchedoffaflimsykey-ring.Now,ifithadbeenlostandrecovered,Mrs.
