Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Five Orange Pips
Theyoungmanpulledhischairupandpushedhiswetfeetouttowardstheblaze.
"Myname,"saidhe,"isJohnOpenshaw,butmyownaffairshave,asfarasIcanunderstand,littletodowiththisawfulbusiness. Itisahereditarymatter;soinordertogiveyouanideaofthefacts,Imustgobacktothecommencementoftheaffair.
"Youmustknowthatmygrandfatherhadtwosons—myuncleEliasandmyfatherJoseph. MyfatherhadasmallfactoryatCoventry,whichheenlargedatthetimeoftheinventionofbicycling. HewasapatenteeoftheOpenshawunbreakabletire,andhisbusinessmetwithsuchsuccessthathewasabletosellitandtoretireuponahandsomecompetence.
"MyuncleEliasemigratedtoAmericawhenhewasayoungmanandbecameaplanterinFlorida,wherehewasreportedtohavedoneverywell. AtthetimeofthewarhefoughtinJackson’sarmy,andafterwardsunderHood,whereherosetobeacolonel. WhenLeelaiddownhisarmsmyunclereturnedtohisplantation,whereheremainedforthreeorfouryears. About1869or1870hecamebacktoEuropeandtookasmallestateinSussex,nearHorsham. HehadmadeaveryconsiderablefortuneintheStates,andhisreasonforleavingthemwashisaversiontothenegroes,andhisdislikeoftheRepublicanpolicyinextendingthefranchisetothem. Hewasasingularman,fierceandquick-tempered,veryfoul-mouthedwhenhewasangry,andofamostretiringdisposition. DuringalltheyearsthathelivedatHorsham,Idoubtifeverhesetfootinthetown. Hehadagardenandtwoorthreefieldsroundhishouse,andtherehewouldtakehisexercise,thoughveryoftenforweeksonendhewouldneverleavehisroom.
