Возвращение Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Priory School
IhavealreadysaidthatIdonotbelievethattheDuchesswouldencouragesomonstrousanaction,buttheladhadthemostwrong-headedopinions,anditispossiblethathemayhavefledtoher,aidedandabettedbythisGerman.Ithink,Dr.Huxtable,thatwewillnowreturntotheHall.”
IcouldseethattherewereotherquestionswhichHolmeswouldhavewishedtoput,butthenobleman’sabruptmannershowedthattheinterviewwasatanend.Itwasevidentthattohisintenselyaristocraticnaturethisdiscussionofhisintimatefamilyaffairswithastrangerwasmostabhorrent,andthathefearedlesteveryfreshquestionwouldthrowafiercerlightintothediscreetlyshadowedcornersofhisducalhistory.
Whenthenoblemanandhissecretaryhadleft,myfriendflunghimselfatoncewithcharacteristiceagernessintotheinvestigation.
Theboy’schamberwascarefullyexamined,andyieldednothingsavetheabsoluteconvictionthatitwasonlythroughthewindowthathecouldhaveescaped.TheGermanmaster’sroomandeffectsgavenofurtherclue.Inhiscaseatrailerofivyhadgivenwayunderhisweight,andwesawbythelightofalanternthemarkonthelawnwherehisheelshadcomedown.Thatonedintintheshort,greengrasswastheonlymaterialwitnessleftofthisinexplicablenocturnalflight.
SherlockHolmesleftthehousealone,andonlyreturnedaftereleven.
