Знак четырех
III. In Quest of a Solution
AtfirstIhadsomeideaastothedirectioninwhichweweredriving;butsoon,whatwithourpace,thefog,andmyownlimitedknowledgeofLondon,Ilostmybearings,andknewnothing,savethatweseemedtobegoingaverylongway.SherlockHolmeswasneveratfault,however,andhemutteredthenamesasthecabrattledthroughsquaresandinandoutbytortuousby-streets.
“RochesterRow,”saidhe.“NowVincentSquare.NowwecomeoutontheVauxhallBridgeRoad.WearemakingfortheSurreyside,apparently.Yes,Ithoughtso.Nowweareonthebridge.Youcancatchglimpsesoftheriver.”
WedidindeedgetafleetingviewofastretchoftheThameswiththelampsshininguponthebroad,silentwater;butourcabdashedon,andwassooninvolvedinalabyrinthofstreetsupontheotherside.
“WordsworthRoad,”saidmycompanion.“PrioryRoad.LarkHallLane.StockwellPlace.RobertStreet.ColdHarborLane.Ourquestdoesnotappeartotakeustoveryfashionableregions.”
Wehad,indeed,reachedaquestionableandforbiddingneighbourhood.Longlinesofdullbrickhouseswereonlyrelievedbythecoarseglareandtawdrybrilliancyofpublichousesatthecorner.Thencamerowsoftwo-storiedvillaseachwithafrontingofminiaturegarden,andthenagaininterminablelinesofnewstaringbrickbuildings,—themonstertentacleswhichthegiantcitywasthrowingoutintothecountry.Atlastthecabdrewupatthethirdhouseinanewterrace.Noneoftheotherhouseswereinhabited,andthatatwhichwestoppedwasasdarkasitsneighbours,saveforasingleglimmerinthekitchenwindow
