Этюд в багровых тонах
The Science of Deduction.
Therewasonelittlesallowrat-faced,dark-eyedfellowwhowasintroducedtomeasMr.Lestrade,andwhocamethreeorfourtimesinasingleweek. Onemorningayounggirlcalled,fashionablydressed,andstayedforhalfanhourormore. Thesameafternoonbroughtagrey-headed,seedyvisitor,lookinglikeaJewpedlar,whoappearedtometobemuchexcited,andwhowascloselyfollowedbyaslip-shodelderlywoman. Onanotheroccasionanoldwhite-hairedgentlemanhadaninterviewwithmycompanion;andonanotherarailwayporterinhisvelveteenuniform. Whenanyofthesenondescriptindividualsputinanappearance,SherlockHolmesusedtobegfortheuseofthesitting-room,andIwouldretiretomybed-room. Healwaysapologizedtomeforputtingmetothisinconvenience. “Ihavetousethisroomasaplaceofbusiness,”hesaid,“andthesepeoplearemyclients.” AgainIhadanopportunityofaskinghimapointblankquestion,andagainmydelicacypreventedmefromforcinganothermantoconfideinme. Iimaginedatthetimethathehadsomestrongreasonfornotalludingtoit,buthesoondispelledtheideabycomingroundtothesubjectofhisownaccord.
Itwasuponthe4thofMarch,asIhavegoodreasontoremember,thatIrosesomewhatearlierthanusual,andfoundthatSherlockHolmeshadnotyetfinishedhisbreakfast. Thelandladyhadbecomesoaccustomedtomylatehabitsthatmyplacehadnotbeenlaidnormycoffeeprepared. WiththeunreasonablepetulanceofmankindIrangthebellandgaveacurtintimationthatIwasready.
