Приключения Шерлока Холмса
The Red-headed League
ItrustthatIamnotmoredensethanmyneighbours,butIwasalwaysoppressedwithasenseofmyownstupidityinmydealingswithSherlockHolmes. HereIhadheardwhathehadheard,Ihadseenwhathehadseen,andyetfromhiswordsitwasevidentthathesawclearlynotonlywhathadhappenedbutwhatwasabouttohappen,whiletomethewholebusinesswasstillconfusedandgrotesque. AsIdrovehometomyhouseinKensingtonIthoughtoveritall,fromtheextraordinarystoryofthered-headedcopieroftheEncyclopediadowntothevisittoSaxe-CoburgSquare,andtheominouswordswithwhichhehadpartedfromme. Whatwasthisnocturnalexpedition,andwhyshouldIgoarmed? Wherewerewegoing,andwhatwerewetodo? IhadthehintfromHolmesthatthissmooth-facedpawnbroker’sassistantwasaformidableman—amanwhomightplayadeepgame. Itriedtopuzzleitout,butgaveitupindespairandsetthematterasideuntilnightshouldbringanexplanation.
Itwasaquarter-pastninewhenIstartedfromhomeandmademywayacrossthePark,andsothroughOxfordStreettoBakerStreet. Twohansomswerestandingatthedoor,andasIenteredthepassageIheardthesoundofvoicesfromabove. OnenteringhisroomIfoundHolmesinanimatedconversationwithtwomen,oneofwhomIrecognizedasPeterJones,theofficialpoliceagent,whiletheotherwasalong,thin,sad-facedman,withaveryshinyhatandoppressivelyrespectablefrock-coat.
"Ha!Ourpartyiscomplete,"saidHolmes,buttoninguphispea-jacketandtakinghisheavyhuntingcropfromtherack. "Watson,IthinkyouknowMr.Jones,ofScotlandYard? LetmeintroduceyoutoMr.Merryweather,whoistobeourcompanioninto-night’sadventure."
