Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
Ifthismancouldaffordtobuysoexpensiveahatthreeyearsago,andhashadnohatsince,thenhehasassuredlygonedownintheworld."
"Well,thatisclearenough,certainly. Buthowabouttheforesightandthemoralretrogression?"
SherlockHolmeslaughed. "Hereistheforesight,"saidheputtinghisfingeruponthelittlediscandloopofthehat-securer. "Theyareneversolduponhats.Ifthismanorderedone,itisasignofacertainamountofforesight,sincehewentoutofhiswaytotakethisprecautionagainstthewind. Butsinceweseethathehasbrokentheelasticandhasnottroubledtoreplaceit,itisobviousthathehaslessforesightnowthanformerly,whichisadistinctproofofaweakeningnature. Ontheotherhand,hehasendeavouredtoconcealsomeofthesestainsuponthefeltbydaubingthemwithink,whichisasignthathehasnotentirelylosthisself-respect."
"Yourreasoningiscertainlyplausible."
"Thefurtherpoints,thatheismiddle-aged,thathishairisgrizzled,thatithasbeenrecentlycut,andthatheuseslime-cream,arealltobegatheredfromacloseexaminationofthelowerpartofthelining. Thelensdisclosesalargenumberofhair-ends,cleancutbythescissorsofthebarber.Theyallappeartobeadhesive,andthereisadistinctodouroflime-cream. Thisdust,youwillobserve,isnotthegritty,graydustofthestreetbutthefluffybrowndustofthehouse,showingthatithasbeenhungupindoorsmostofthetime,whilethemarksofmoistureupontheinsideareproofpositivethatthewearerperspiredveryfreely,andcouldtherefore,hardlybeinthebestoftraining."
"Buthiswife—yousaidthatshehadceasedtolovehim."
