Воспоминания Шерлока Холмса
The Naval Treaty
MyfriendhardlyglancedupasIentered,andI,seeingthathisinvestigationmustbeofimportance,seatedmyselfinanarmchairandwaited.Hedippedintothisbottleorthat,drawingoutafewdropsofeachwithhisglasspipette,andfinallybroughtatest-tubecontainingasolutionovertothetable.Inhisrighthandheheldaslipoflitmus-paper.
"Youcomeatacrisis,Watson,"saidhe."Ifthispaperremainsblue,alliswell.Ifitturnsred,itmeansaman’slife."Hedippeditintothetest-tubeanditflushedatonceintoadull,dirtycrimson."Hum!Ithoughtasmuch!"hecried."Iwillbeatyourserviceinaninstant,Watson.YouwillfindtobaccointhePersianslipper."Heturnedtohisdeskandscribbledoffseveraltelegrams,whichwerehandedovertothepage-boy.Thenhethrewhimselfdownintothechairoppositeanddrewuphiskneesuntilhisfingersclaspedroundhislong,thinshins.
"Averycommonplacelittlemurder,"saidhe."You’vegotsomethingbetter,Ifancy.Youarethestormypetrelofcrime,Watson.Whatisit?"
Ihandedhimtheletter,whichhereadwiththemostconcentratedattention.
"Itdoesnottellusverymuch,doesit?"heremarkedashehandeditbacktome.
"Hardlyanything."
"Andyetthewritingisofinterest."
"Butthewritingisnothisown."
"Precisely.Itisawoman’s."
"Aman’ssurely,"Icried.
