Этюд в багровых тонах
Light in the Darkness.
Igaveacry,whichbroughttheBootsback. Henearlyfaintedwhenhesawit. Thedoorwaslockedontheinside,butweputourshoulderstoit,andknockeditin. Thewindowoftheroomwasopen,andbesidethewindow,allhuddledup,laythebodyofamaninhisnightdress. Hewasquitedead,andhadbeenforsometime,forhislimbswererigidandcold. Whenweturnedhimover,theBootsrecognizedhimatonceasbeingthesamegentlemanwhohadengagedtheroomunderthenameofJosephStangerson. Thecauseofdeathwasadeepstabintheleftside,whichmusthavepenetratedtheheart. Andnowcomesthestrangestpartoftheaffair. Whatdoyousupposewasabovethemurderedman?”
Ifeltacreepingoftheflesh,andapresentimentofcominghorror,evenbeforeSherlockHolmesanswered.
“ThewordRACHE,writteninlettersofblood,”hesaid.
“Thatwasit,”saidLestrade,inanawe-struckvoice;andwewereallsilentforawhile.
Therewassomethingsomethodicalandsoincomprehensibleaboutthedeedsofthisunknownassassin,thatitimpartedafreshghastlinesstohiscrimes. Mynerves,whichweresteadyenoughonthefieldofbattletingledasIthoughtofit.
“Themanwasseen,”continuedLestrade. “Amilkboy,passingonhiswaytothedairy,happenedtowalkdownthelanewhichleadsfromthemewsatthebackofthehotel. Henoticedthataladder,whichusuallylaythere,wasraisedagainstoneofthewindowsofthesecondfloor,whichwaswideopen. Afterpassing,helookedbackandsawamandescendtheladder.
