Возвращение Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Dancing Men
Acceptingitascorrect,wearenowabletosaythatthesymbolsstandrespectivelyforN,V,andR.
“EvennowIwasinconsiderabledifficulty,butahappythoughtputmeinpossessionofseveralotherletters.Itoccurredtomethatiftheseappealscame,asIexpected,fromsomeonewhohadbeenintimatewiththeladyinherearlylife,acombinationwhichcontainedtwoE’swiththreelettersbetweenmightverywellstandforthename‘ELSIE.’OnexaminationIfoundthatsuchacombinationformedtheterminationofthemessagewhichwasthreetimesrepeated.Itwascertainlysomeappealto‘Elsie.’InthiswayIhadgotmyL,S,andI.Butwhatappealcoulditbe?Therewereonlyfourlettersinthewordwhichpreceded‘Elsie,’anditendedinE.Surelythewordmustbe‘COME.’ItriedallotherfourlettersendinginE,butcouldfindnonetofitthecase.SonowIwasinpossessionofC,O,andM,andIwasinapositiontoattackthefirstmessageoncemore,dividingitintowordsandputtingdotsforeachsymbolwhichwasstillunknown.Sotreated,itworkedoutinthisfashion:
.M.ERE..ESL.NE.
“NowthefirstlettercanonlybeA,whichisamostusefuldiscovery,sinceitoccursnofewerthanthreetimesinthisshortsentence,andtheHisalsoapparentinthesecondword.Nowitbecomes:
AMHEREA.ESLANE.
Or,fillingintheobviousvacanciesinthename:
AMHEREABESLANEY.
IhadsomanylettersnowthatIcouldproceedwithconsiderableconfidencetothesecondmessage,whichworkedoutinthisfashion:
A.ELRI.ES.
