Знак четырех
I. The Science of Deduction
“Hespeaksasapupiltohismaster,”saidI.
“Oh,heratesmyassistancetoohighly,”saidSherlockHolmes,lightly.“Hehasconsiderablegiftshimself.Hepossessestwooutofthethreequalitiesnecessaryfortheidealdetective.Hehasthepowerofobservationandthatofdeduction.Heisonlywantinginknowledge;andthatmaycomeintime.HeisnowtranslatingmysmallworksintoFrench.”
“Yourworks?”
“Oh,didn’tyouknow?”hecried,laughing.“Yes,Ihavebeenguiltyofseveralmonographs.Theyareallupontechnicalsubjects.Here,forexample,isone‘UpontheDistinctionbetweentheAshesoftheVariousTobaccoes.’InitIenumerateahundredandfortyformsofcigar-,cigarette-,andpipe-tobacco,withcolouredplatesillustratingthedifferenceintheash.Itisapointwhichiscontinuallyturningupincriminaltrials,andwhichissometimesofsupremeimportanceasaclue.Ifyoucansaydefinitely,forexample,thatsomemurderhasbeendonebyamanwhowassmokinganIndianlunkah,itobviouslynarrowsyourfieldofsearch.TothetrainedeyethereisasmuchdifferencebetweentheblackashofaTrichinopolyandthewhitefluffofbird’s-eyeasthereisbetweenacabbageandapotato.”
“Youhaveanextraordinarygeniusforminutiæ,”Iremarked.
“Iappreciatetheirimportance.Hereismymonographuponthetracingoffootsteps,withsomeremarksupontheusesofplasterofParisasapreserverofimpresses.
