Знак четырех
VIII. The Baker Street Irregulars
WhenIcamedowntoourroomIfoundthebreakfastlaidandHomespouringoutthecoffee.
“Hereitis,”saidhe,laughing,andpointingtoanopennewspaper.“TheenergeticJonesandtheubiquitousreporterhavefixeditupbetweenthem.Butyouhavehadenoughofthecase.Betterhaveyourhamandeggsfirst.”
Itookthepaperfromhimandreadtheshortnotice,whichwasheaded“MysteriousBusinessatUpperNorwood.”
“Abouttwelveo’clocklastnight,”saidtheStandard,“Mr.BartholomewSholto,ofPondicherryLodge,UpperNorwood,wasfounddeadinhisroomundercircumstanceswhichpointtofoulplay.Asfaraswecanlearn,noactualtracesofviolencewerefounduponMr.Sholto’sperson,butavaluablecollectionofIndiangemswhichthedeceasedgentlemanhadinheritedfromhisfatherhasbeencarriedoff.ThediscoverywasfirstmadebyMr.SherlockHolmesandDr.Watson,whohadcalledatthehousewithMr.ThaddeusSholto,brotherofthedeceased.Byasingularpieceofgoodfortune,Mr.AthelneyJones,thewell-knownmemberofthedetectivepoliceforce,happenedtobeattheNorwoodPoliceStation,andwasonthegroundwithinhalfanhourofthefirstalarm.Histrainedandexperiencedfacultieswereatoncedirectedtowardsthedetectionofthecriminals,withthegratifyingresultthatthebrother,ThaddeusSholto,hasalreadybeenarrested,togetherwiththehousekeeper,Mrs.Bernstone,anIndianbutlernamedLalRao,andaporter,orgatekeeper,namedMcMurdo.Itisquitecertainthatthethieforthieveswerewellacquaintedwiththehouse,forMr.
