Знак четырех
I. The Science of Deduction
Whenyouobservethelowerpartofthatwatch-caseyounoticethatitisnotonlydintedintwoplaces,butitiscutandmarkedalloverfromthehabitofkeepingotherhardobjects,suchascoinsorkeys,inthesamepocket.Surelyitisnogreatfeattoassumethatamanwhotreatsafifty-guineawatchsocavalierlymustbeacarelessman.Neitherisitaveryfar-fetchedinferencethatamanwhoinheritsonearticleofsuchvalueisprettywellprovidedforinotherrespects.”
Inodded,toshowthatIfollowedhisreasoning.
“ItisverycustomaryforpawnbrokersinEngland,whentheytakeawatch,toscratchthenumberoftheticketwithapin-pointupontheinsideofthecase.Itismorehandythanalabel,asthereisnoriskofthenumberbeinglostortransposed.Therearenolessthanfoursuchnumbersvisibletomylensontheinsideofthiscase.Inference,—thatyourbrotherwasoftenatlowwater.Secondaryinference,—thathehadoccasionalburstsofprosperity,orhecouldnothaveredeemedthepledge.Finally,Iaskyoutolookattheinnerplate,whichcontainsthekey-hole.Lookatthethousandsofscratchesallroundthehole,—markswherethekeyhasslipped.Whatsoberman’skeycouldhavescoredthosegrooves?Butyouwillneverseeadrunkard’swatchwithoutthem.Hewindsitatnight,andheleavesthesetracesofhisunsteadyhand.Whereisthemysteryinallthis?”
“Itisasclearasdaylight,”Ianswered.“IregrettheinjusticewhichIdidyou.Ishouldhavehadmorefaithinyourmarvellousfaculty
